


Making Friends

by suluismyspirit



Series: Worlds Away [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Again with the many POV changes - Freeform, Angst, Blood, Fluff, Friendship, Mild Language, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicidal Thoughts, Torture, Trust Issues, so many POV changes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:02:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 49,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10019954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suluismyspirit/pseuds/suluismyspirit
Summary: Sulu's finally been officially posted to the Enterprise after working through all the red tape to get back on active duty. Now if only he could find a way to fit in, get back to a normal life. Shouldn't it be easy to leave to past behind him?*I'm sorry for this crappy summary. Maybe I'll come up with a better one later.(This is really just an RP with a friend that has somehow gotten away from the original purpose. But hopefully you still like it?)





	1. Chapter 1

The past few weeks since joining the Enterprise crew had been a litany of various hoops to jump through for Sulu. Not that it was unwarranted. There were the medical evaluations he had to go through, not to mention the various interviews he had to attend with Starfleet once the investigation into Pruitt began. He had to recertify to fly, though that was a breeze for him. Eventually, he found himself cleared for duty, and assigned as chief helmsman for the Enterprise, just like Kirk had promised.

Sulu was hanging out on deck 5, just watching the stars. He was going to officially be back on active duty tomorrow, and he was looking forward to piloting a starship again. It felt like starting over, and not in a bad way. He just wished it was as easy to put all that had happened behind him as it had been to join this crew.

Having just come off duty for the day, Chekov decided that it would be good to catch up on some star charts. It had been awhile and a review was in order. Walking with some friends, he made his way to deck 5. In the back of his mind, he made a note to check in on Sulu. Ever since he had been stationed on the Enterprise he had been a bit of a loner and Chekov wanted to encourage him, especially with his first duty being tomorrow. He waved goodbye to his friends and slipped into the observation deck with a lingering smile. He proceeded to the bookcase, but paused, seeing the newest member staring at the stars. His smile brightened again and he hurried over, coming to a halt directly beside the pilot.

"Hello, Hikaru!" he greeted cheerfully, flashing the man a grin.

Sulu was broken from his thoughts by Chekov’s greeting, turning to look at him and giving him a polite smile. “Hey, Chekov.” He hadn’t really talked to the Russian much since he’d first arrived on the ship. He’d been so busy, and he didn’t know the kid well enough to go find him when he wasn’t. Plus, he’d figured Chekov had his own group of friends, and Sulu wasn’t over eager to try and fit himself in another one of those.

Chekov turned his gaze to the stars in front of them. "Are you excited about tomorrow?" he inquired. Sulu's hesitance wasn't lost on the boy and he was trying to make the atmosphere comfortable. Tone down the excitement, don't scare him off. The last thing he wanted to do was make Sulu walk away, losing the opportunity of friendship. Sure, they would be stationed together sometimes, but it was always easier to open a relationship with a clean slate and not one that's been defiled.

Sulu leaned back in his seat, looking out at the stars again with a more relaxed smile. “You wanna sit?” Sulu asked after a second. It’d be less awkward than Chekov just hovering.

“Yeah. It’s gonna take some getting used to though. The Indiana wasn’t nearly as advanced as the Enterprise.” He smirked a tiny bit as he answered, though kept any sassy comments about crashing into planets to himself. Instead, he let out a little sigh, glancing up at Chekov briefly. “Don’t worry though, I passed all the certifications.” And more than for just the Enterprise, but he wasn’t going to volunteer that information.

Chekov smiled lightly at the invitation, settling into a chair with a content sigh. He listened as Sulu spoke, nodding. "Zhey say zhe Enterprise is Starfleet's most adwanced ship!" he beamed proudly, honored to get a place on it and maybe make history. How weird would it be if his name went into the books. He doubted it would ever happen, but it was fun to dream. At Sulu's next comment, he glanced over at him and frowned ever so slightly, before brushing it off. Why did he feel he needed to say that? Obviously, he had passed. If not, he wouldn't have been there.

"I trust you," Pavel stated, eyes returning to the stars. And he meant it. Though he hadn't really known Sulu for long, there was something about the Asian that intrigued him, something that seemed genuine.

Sulu gave Chekov a puzzled look at that comment, but shrugged it off best he could. It was just a saying, he was sure. What else could Chekov have meant by that. He nodded, agreeing with what Chekov had said about the Enterprise. “I’d heard bout this ship while it was being build. It certainly lives up to the hype.”

Chekov grinned, shifting some in his seat. "Aye, eet certainly does." He took a deep breath, looking over at Sulu. "I vas totally surprised I vas accepted. I newer expected zhem to let a sewenteen year old nawigate zhis type of ship." He laughed. "But here I am."

Seventeen? Sulu lifted an eyebrow at that. He’d known the kid was young, but that was still a surprise. “So you must have been like… what, thirteen? Going through the academy?” He can’t help but chuckle at that image. “Sorry, no offense.” He said an instant later, not meaning to insult Chekov. “That’s really impressive. I look forward to working with you.”

Chekov laughed again. "Yup. Eet vas tough, let me tell you." He shook his head. "Zhe ozher students veren't exactly... happy vhen zhey vere studying vith a teen." He smiled at Sulu. "No offence taken at all," He assured. "You took eet better zhan most people."  
Chekov couldn't help but feel a burst of excitement as Sulu spoke. The feeling of working together was mutual and for that he was overjoyed. He had been worried Sulu wouldn't like him, but that appeared not to be the case. "I'm excited to vork vith you too!" He exclaimed. "I hope I can liwe up to your last co-vorkers." Though Sulu had never talked about his partners, Chekov assumed they were good workers. He had heard that most of the members on the Indiana (minus the captain) were very skilled workers, and he hoped Sulu wouldn't be too disappointed if Chekov wasn't as good as them.

Sulu looked away at that, smile turning rather cold as he tapped one finger nervously on the table in front of him. He forced a bit of cheer into his voice. “I’m sure you will, no problem. Like you said, best of the best here, right?”

Honestly, in Sulu’s opinion, so far most of the crew here _had_ lived up to the one on the Indiana. Most left him alone, though Kirk and Scotty usually greeted him and talked to him, Scotty more in passing since they’d both been busy recently. Otherwise, most of the crew didn’t push him to interact. So, overall, it was vaguely like being on the Indiana.

He frowned lightly, trying and failing not to draw parallels between how his friendship with Liam had started, and how Chekov had approached him now. The kid was a whole lot different, and had no reason to dislike him like Liam had at first.

Chekov nodded. "Best of the best!" he repeated in cheerful agreement. It was strange, really, being here with so many talented people.

"Speaking of..." Chekov began, a mischievous smile on his face. "Keptain Kirk vasn't alvawys considered zhe best. He broke lots of regulations before becoming one of zhe best keptains in all of Starfleet." Chekov shifted again, having a hard time containing his excitement. "He sawed Keptain Pike, you know. Vell, if you didn't, you do now. He got a medal for zhat, I zhink."

He paused, noticing for the first time how quiet Sulu was being. Looking over, he noticed the small smile on the pilot's face. "Eweryzhing good?" He asked, tilting his head some with a small frown of his own. "Did I talk too much?"

Sulu nodded automatically at Chekov’s question. “Yeah, no it’s fine. Don’t worry about it, you’re not talking too much.”

It was interesting for Hikaru, to say the least, hearing about Kirk’s past history with Starfleet. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with the part of him breaking a lot of regulations. But Jim had seemed to be a good man, and an amazing captain, so whatever the regulations he’d broken in the past, he a great captain now. Jim had also been adamant about protecting him, so Sulu wasn’t about to scrutinize his past.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t a tiny bit worried about how that attitude passed down to the rest of the crew.

Chekov let out a small sigh of relief, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. "Alright, just let me know if I am. Some of zhe crew tells me I talk too much, and ai hawe been trying to cut back a little." He paused, laughing quietly. "See how vell zhat is going?"

There were a few moments of silence as the conversation dipped. Sulu didn't seem interested in speaking up, and even though he had denied it, Chekov didn't want to bug Sulu. He couldn't help but let his gaze automatically travel to the Asian. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but it seemed like as soon as he had brought up the Indiana, Sulu had clammed up. Pavel wished he could help, but he wasn't entirely sure how. "You vanna go grab some food?" He asked suddenly.

Sulu went still, staring out at the stars as he forced himself not to react to that and just hope Chekov didn’t notice the sudden tension. What was next, an invitation to come play cards with the Russians friends?

“Thanks, but. I’m not really hungry.”

His thoughts were a mess, studiously not looking over at Chekov as he stood up. “I should get going, thanks for hanging out with me.” He put on a polite smile again, running completely on instinct as he looked over at Chekov. “See you on the bridge, I guess?”

Chekov couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at his response. "Alright, maybe some ozher time," he said, giving Sulu a small smile and standing up with him. "Yes, see you on zhe bridge!" He called to the retreating pilot.

After the man had left, he bit his tongue and wondered if he had said something wrong. Probably not, Sulu probably just had some stuff to get done. But why had he left so suddenly? Chekov shrugged it off, heading to the cafeteria by himself and hoping he would see Sulu around the ship and not just on the bridge.

Sulu let out a shaky sigh as the doors to cafeteria closed behind him. That had not gone the way he’d have wanted. He felt jittery now, the bright clean walls of the corridor doing nothing to help that feeling of being exposed and vulnerable. Ducking his head slightly, Sulu started walking.

He was glad the crew paid no attention to him, and was doubly so that he saw neither Kirk nor Scotty on his way to his room. He wasn’t in the mood to try and pretend to be cheerful for them. Besides, Kirk was far too good at being able to tell when Sulu, or basically any of the crew, were not acting right.

Sulu felt the tension drain from him as the doors to his quarters shut and locked behind him. He leaned against the cool metal for a moment, trying to shake off the memories of the Indiana. He wasn’t really upset at Chekov, the kid was just curious. Hikaru had calmed down enough on the walk here to realize that Chekov hadn’t meant anything by that offer, he was just trying to be friendly.

The crew here were different, Kirk was different, and so was Chekov. Now if only he could get the rest of himself to realize that, stop these ridiculous reactions to minor mundane things. Sulu made his way to his bed, falling face first onto the cushions. He really hated how he couldn’t keep his emotions and reactions under control.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per usual, I'm procrastinating on all my other stories.

He woke, hours later, his entire body rigid with tension, jaw clenched because he needed to be silent or the guards would hear and…. He jerked upright, heart racing and breathing quickly as he looked around his dark room, trying to reassure himself that he was _actually_ on a Federation ship, not in that compound.

“Lights.” He barked out hoarsely, relief flooding him as the room brightened.

Hikaru got up, shivering a bit as he went to change and get ready for his shift. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen asleep. That nightmare wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence, though it usually didn’t feature a few crew from the Enterprise in place of the old friends from the Indiana. So he didn’t sleep well, or that often.

He sat on the edge of his bed once he was dressed, running a hand down his face. He could deal with this, he was fine. Sure, he didn’t get as much sleep as maybe he should, but the doctors had still cleared him for duty. He was back in Starfleet, there wasn’t any need for him to be so….

Sulu sighed, getting up and refusing to finish that thought. Instead, he left, heading to the bridge to start his shift.

Chekov swiveled in his chair a few times, absently drumming his fingers on the console. He wondered how Sulu was doing. After their initial, sudden departure, he hadn't seen the Asian since and it worried him somewhat. He assumed Sulu was in his quarters resting or something like that, still adjusting to his new life, but Chekov couldn't help but feel like he had said something wrong. He had run over the conversation multiple times, from the moment he greeted to the moment he left. Nothing seemed wrong, but obviously something was, he just couldn't figure it out.

Chekov heard the door swoosh open and he turned to see who it was, a smile instantly appearing at the sight of Sulu. "Hikaru!" he greeted cheerfully, spirits rising.

He kept his eyes down as he made his way over to his station, not wanting to risk meeting Chekov’s eye, too embarrassed by how he’d basically run away from him earlier. He almost looked up at him as the kid all but shouted his name cheerfully. He nodded politely at the officer in the captain’s chair, Kirk was busy with some issue regarding Pruitt, before sitting at the console.

Chekov blinked as Sulu sat down beside him, not making eye contact. His smile slowly drifted away as he tilted his head and studied the man with confusion. "You look pale," he stated, leaning closer. "Are you okay?" Worry bubbled up for Sulu, and he hoped that no one had been picking on him.

Sulu glanced over at Chekov, giving him a smile as he subtlety shifted away from the Russian leaning closer. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He turned his attention to the helm, running his hands across the controls and making sure the systems were running properly. He almost smiled at the feeling. He’d missed this, being at the helm of a ship. You know… willingly.

At least the bridge here wasn’t anything like the Indiana. He frowned slightly as that thought crossed his mind, irritated with himself that he couldn’t just let things go.

Chekov smiled some and straightened up, leaning back in his chair. "Good. I know eet is pretty hard to get used to a new place, but you'll get used to eet in no time." he nodded to himself. "Before you know eet you vill hawe a whole group of friends!"

Sulu said nothing to that, grateful that Chekov was letting the subject drop. He ignored the way his hand twitched a bit at the mention of a group of friends, forcing himself not to look at Chekov. He didn’t mean it that way. He couldn’t know. He didn’t. At least, Sulu thought he didn’t.

But, now that the thought had crossed his mind, Sulu couldn’t stop thinking. What if Kirk or Scotty had told Chekov everything he’d told them? It was weird how Chekov was getting all the little details the same, because he’d never told Kirk or Scotty about those… Which led him to the ugly little though of just _where_ Chekov might have heard about them.

Initially, he’d been eager to have his first shift on the bridge, but with Chekov here, and the doubts in Sulu’s mind, he wasn’t so eager.

Chekov leaned forward a little to check their status, before settling back again. He was quiet for a while, but suddenly looked at Sulu with a few soft giggles. He gave the man's arm a gentle shove, lowering his voice. "Vould eet not be interesting if ve came across an enemy ship? Zhat vould make for an interesting first bridge day, huh?"

Sulu glanced at Chekov, eyes flickering automatically to the officer in the captain’s seat behind them. He had no idea why Chekov was whispering. Were they not allowed to have conversations while on duty? Pruitt hadn’t exactly like his crew talking non-work related topics on his bridge, but Kirk not so much. Although he had no idea about the one who was currently in charge.

“Make a pretty lousy first day.” He answered, voice just as hushed at Chekov’s. He surprised himself at how honest that answer came out. It was how he felt about it, true, but he hadn’t exactly been planning on admitting it. He turned his eyes back to his station, though there wasn’t much to hold his focus. They were on an easy course, he just had to make sure nothing strange popped up.

Chekov laughed, nodding in agreement. "Yes. I vould protect you, zhough!" he gave a mock salute, before moving side to side in his chair, fingers clasped in a fake gun. He pretended to shoot, complete with an array of sound effects to make the "performance" more realistic. He ended with a final lurch to the right, which he over exaggerated and ended up diving onto the floor. The bridge was silent and instantly Chekov knew he shouldn't have done that. He could feel his face start to redden and he quickly stood up, muttering a quiet apology to the stand-in captain then sliding back into his seat with his head ducked down.

Sulu watched Chekov’s performance with a confused, slightly bewildered, expression. He glanced around briefly at the rest of the crew as Chekov sat back down. Most of them were nearly as red in the face as Chekov, trying to hold back laughter most likely. And the stand in captain had a hand over his face. This ship was odd.

Sulu smirked slightly, letting out a short chuckle as he turned back to the helm. “If you ever get tired of space travel, you might have a promising acting career.” He commented, voice still quiet as he glanced over at Chekov. He couldn’t resist teasing him, but he didn’t want to embarrass him or anything. He didn’t want to chase the Russian off with his sassy sarcasm.

Chekov laughed, turning his head slightly to look at Sulu from the side. "You zhink so?" he asked with a chuckle, turning back to the controls. He had never really considered anything other than space. As far back as he could remember he had wanted to work on a starship. That was most of the inspiration that kept him going when he struggled through college at a young age. It was his dream, and now he was living it and he couldn't be happier.

"I do not zhink I vill ewer get tired of space trawel," he stated thoughtfully. "But I suppose zhat if eet ewer came to zhat, I vould vant to be an engineer. Maybe vork in a transporter room somevhere in Russia." he grinned. "Vhat about you? If you veren't a pilot, vhat vould you be doing?"

Sulu’s smirk turned a bit sharper, less cheerful at the question. Yeah, that’d been something he’d thought about /many/ times. Where might he be if he hadn’t gone to Starfleet. He sighed a little, shaking his head to clear those thoughts away, focus on answering.

“Probably sciences.” He shrugged lightly. “Had a hobby in botany a while ago. And if not that, then maybe security.” Both things that could be done somewhere other than a starship.

Chekov smirked. "Sounds like you're good to go!" he exclaimed. "Somany options! If anyzhing falls zhrough you hawe plenty of backups." he leaned back, face scrunched in thought. Sulu was so prepared. Maybe it was time for him to think of a few other things he could do. Who knew what the future held and what if Starfleet collapsed?

Chekov held out his fingers for each option. "Engineer, actor...." he trailed off, eyebrows furrowed. After a few minutes in thought, he threw his hands up and shook his head in exasperation. "I cannot zhink of anyzhing else!" he lowered his arms and shrugged. "Oh vell. Eet does not matter anyvay." he smiled lightly. "I am vorking as a nawigator and for now ai vill focus on zhat. If somezhing happens, I vill cross zhat bridge vhen eet comes."

Sulu shook his head lightly. “You’re young and a genius, I’m sure you’d have plenty of people lining up to give you more options than you could dream of.”

Chekov tilted his head and looked back at Sulu. "You'd be surprised. I don't have zhat much experience, and zhat turns people off."

“I’m sure telling them you passed the Academy entrance exams as what? Thirteen? And then graduated the academy at seventeen will do for you. Most people would be impressed at your learning curve. Don’t sell yourself short.” Sulu told him. He didn’t look over at Chekov, a little embarrassed at that long little speech. Just where had /that/ come from?

Chekov blinked. Sulu wasn't the first one to tell hin to be proud and use his education. Sure he was proud of it, but he felt awkward bringing it up. It made him feel uncomfortable. Like he was better than everyone and not in the good way. He wanted to be like everyone else, not some super genius kid. Still, it was his past and he couldn't erase it. What Sulu said was true and the best he could do was accept it. Silently his gaze drifted back to the console as he continued to contemplate Sulu's words.

Hikaru wasn’t sure how to take the silence that followed. He just hoped he hadn’t offended Chekov. The rest of his shift on the bridge was quiet, dull even. It was basically the same as he remembered the Indiana being. Every so often a crewman would enter or exit the bridge, bringing data PADDs to the science stations. Normal bridge operations. It was soothing to Sulu, in its own way.


	3. Chapter 3

Sulu was almost disappointed when his relief showed up. He relinquished the helm, stretching slightly as he headed to the lift, thinking about going for some food in the cafeteria. He’d missed lunch earlier after all.

"Mr. Sulu, vait!" Chekov slid into the turbolift just before it closed. He moved to stand beside the pilot, studying him. "Vhere are you going now?"

Sulu paused watching Chekov run into the lift. He hadn’t been expecting that. “Uh, probably lunch?” He said, frowning to himself at how that came out as a question. “You can come too, if you want.” He added politely, feeling a little awkward. There hadn’t been much else said between the two for the rest of the shift, and Sulu’d figured that was the end of it. Except here was Chekov, running after him again.

Chekov nodded firmly. "I'd lowe to join you!" he replied cheerfully. Invitation or not he had planned on trailing him, but Sulu didn't need to know that. Pavel clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels while the turbolift descended. As soon as its doors opened he stepped out, walking a ways before turning around and walking backwards so he could address Sulu easier. "So, did you enjoy your first day?" He inquired with a small grin. He felt a bit bad for never answering him earlier, making their shift have a bit of tension in it, but he was going to make it up to the Asian.

Sulu lifted a brow at Chekov’s antics, impressed a little at how well the kid knew the place to be able to walk it backwards. “Yeah, I did.” He smiled a little. “Felt great to be at the helm of ship again. I’d missed it.”

Chekov beamed, spinning on his heel until he was facing the right way again. "Eet's vonderful, isn't eet? Eet is like one of zhose old video games. My grandfazher owned one or two and I used to play zhem sometimes." he laughed. "Eet _can_ be a bit nervewracking at times, zhough. Being in control of a giant wessel and basically in charge of people's liwes..." He shook his head. "I do not know how Keirk does it 24/7."

Sulu nodded in agreement. He hadn’t known Kirk all that long yet, but he could tell the man was a great captain. And he didn’t show the strain that title had to hold. Being in charge of so many crewmen, every decision you made affecting them. Nerve wracking was an understatement. “I’ve thought about making Captain before. Not sure how much of a chance I’ve got, but…” He shrugged some.

Chekov couldn't help but widen his eyes at Sulu's statement. "A keptain..?" He breathed, looking at him with a genuinely surprised expression. "Oh, you should! From vhat I hawe seen, you vould make a great keptain!" He was kind, caring, had some sass, and if he endured two years on _that_ planet, he was certainly strong. "Zhat vould be so cool! I zhink you should. Maybe not right avay, but you definitely should someday." He smiled widely, excitement bouncing his step.

Sulu couldn’t help a laugh at that. From what he’d seen? They’d barely known each other a week. “Glad I have your vote of support.” He chuckled.

He went over to get some food as they entered the cafeteria, still chuckling to himself slightly. He got something simple from the replicator, stomach still not used to so many choices, and went to find a spot for him and Chekov.

Chekov moved quickly to a replicator and grabbed a sandwich, before turning and looking for Sulu. He spotted him fast enough, but in the process, he also saw two of his other friends. He smiled, trotting over to the Asian.

"Hey, I hawe some friends I vant you to meet!" He said, gesturing to the two. "Vould you like to sit vith zhem?"

Sulu wasn’t so keen on meeting these two friends, but he wasn’t about to run away like he had last time. One embarrassing episode was enough. Besides, if he didn’t eat something he’d wind up in sickbay. He did _not _want to try and explain to McCoy why he hadn’t eaten in over 24 hours, again. That would just earn him a lecture, probably a hypo, and maybe pull him off duty.__

He wasn’t going to risk his place on this ship just because he was… uneasy about meeting Chekov’s friends. He ignored the sudden tension in his shoulders, instead putting on a smile and nodding. “Sure, lead the way.”

Chekov could see the tension in Sulu's face and gave him an encouraging smile, as well as a gentle pat on the back. "Don't vorry, zhey're good people." He assured him, before turning and making his way to their table.

"Hutch! Xioni!" he called, waving a hand high in greeting. The two turned their heads and returned the wave with each of their own. "Hey Pavel," Hutch said, while Xioni remained quiet. Chekov slid into a chair across from them with a big smile.

"Guys, I vant you to meet someone!" He gestured to Sulu. "Zhis is Hikaru Sulu, our new pilot!" Xioni nodded in friendly greeting. Hutch followed suit, but not before looking Sulu up and down.

"Sulu... Hey, aren't you the guy that got trapped on that planet for two years?"

As soon as the question left his mouth, the yellow skinned Xioni nudged him hard with her elbow. Hutch looked over and gave her a small glare, then immediately turned back to Sulu, awaiting an answer.

Sulu lifted an eyebrow at Hutch, sitting down. “Tactful. But yes. I am.”

He poked at his food for a moment, regarding to two of them. He wasn’t very thrilled that is seemed that was what he was known for here on the ship. Not that he could blame them, it was probably the only thing they knew about him. And stories like that tended to travel fast.

"What was it like? Being all alone and stuff," Hutch continued, undeterred by Pavel's warning frown. "Was it hard?"

Abandoning his food, Sulu leaned one elbow on the table, propping his chin on his fist as he looked at Hutch, expression somewhat cold. “The epitome of peace and quiet. Like a vacation.” He smirked, tone dripping in sarcasm.

Hutch rolled his eyes with a disbelieving smirk. "Yeah right. I heard you came up covered with bruises and you had to be in sickbay for awhile. Doesn't sound like a vacation to me." Xioni frowned heavily at him. "It was just a rumour." She stated.

Hutch leaned forward, steadily eying Sulu. "Was it?"

Sulu leaned back, looking Hutch over calculatingly. He crossed his arms, doing his very best to keep it together. He focused on the anger and indignation, ignoring the nervousness in his chest. Yes, he’d gone over this more than once after he’d arrived on board and Kirk had started the inquiry. But he hadn’t been expecting it here.

“Would you like a detailed account? Are you looking for some horror stories to keep you up at night? Life isn’t exciting enough for you? Sorry, but I’m not here to be your entertainment. If your job on this ship isn’t exciting enough, don’t go looking at my account trying to spice up your life.” He glared at Hutch, tone icy. He was in no mood to be interrogated, and had no compulsion to sit here and tolerate it. He ignored the way his heart beat raced, glowering at Hutch as if daring him to say anything else on the subject.

Hutch could feel his blood begin to boil as his face filled with anger. How dare he retort that way. He opened his mouth to reply, but before any words spilled out Chekov stood up suddenly. The Russian's expression was edged with fear and annoyance, though he did a pretty good job of keeping it hidden. "Sorry, but ve hawe to go," he stated hastily, nervously tapping Sulu on the shoulder a couple times. "I forgot ve had to do zhose _reports_."

Hutch raised an eyebrow, looking from Pavel to Hikaru, judging whether it was worth a word or not. He decided not to waste his breath and leaned back, but still watched them calculatingly.

Sulu stood up after a moment, gaze never leaving Hutch. He wasn’t going to let his guard down, even if it looked like the man wasn’t going to say anything more. Hikaru hadn’t missed the rush of anger on his face and didn’t trust him not to come over the table at him.

He followed Chekov out, not saying anything until they’d left the cafeteria. “Sorry for ruining the mood.” He apologized, overly formal in tone, trying not to let the stress and residual anger show through. “I think I’ll just head back to my quarters.”

"Eet is not your fault," Chekov stated, absently drumming his fingers on his leg to release nervous energy. "Hutch takes avhile to get to know, but he really is a good guy." He bit his tongue. "I hawe newer seen him be so... Standoffish before."

After nodding in response to Sulu's statement, Chekov continued to walk beside the older man. Even after they passed the hallway his room was down, Pavel stayed beside him. His curiosity was peaked after seeing Sulu's defensive replies to Hutch, but that wasn't the reason he stuck around. Something was wrong. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something wasn't right. Sulu's whole demeanor had changed once they left the room, and even now Chekov could feel the tension.

Sulu was barely able to hold it together as they walked. He didn’t even register Chekov’s words, too lost in his own thoughts. He was glad he hadn’t actually gotten around to eating today, his stomach was so in knots he’d have thrown up by now if he had. He still felt like he might. McCoy was gonna be pissed when he found out about the missed meals.

He walked blindly, feet taking him automatically to his quarters, paying little attention to Chekov as the Russian trailed beside him, only vaguely aware of his presence at all. It was all he could do to stop from shaking, a litany of curses flowing through his mind. This had to be some kind of record. He’d screwed it all up after just one day of being on duty.

There was no way Kirk wouldn’t hear about this. He’d basically started a fight on his _first day_. Hutch was gonna file a report, or course he would, and then Kirk would _have_ to get rid of him. One day in and he screwed up so bad. Chekov would probably go back and talk to his friends, they’d make him see their side. Damn it. Sulu already kinda liked the kid, he’d have been a good friend. Just one more thing he’d managed to mess up on day one. Kirk was going to be pissed.

He wasn’t supposed to cause problems, he should have kept his mouth shut. He was supposed to just do what he was told, not argue. He’d pissed Hutch off, and that was stupid. Dangerous. He knew better. Just shut up, do what they say, don’t make problems.

Sulu blinked as he came to a stop, realizing he’d arrived at his quarters. He glanced over at Chekov, slightly surprised the navigator was still there. He put on a slight smirk. “Well, this is my stop. So, unless you’re planning on coming in.” He stopped, glancing away because, crap, he hadn’t meant that to come out like an invitation.


	4. Chapter 4

Chekov's apprehension grew with each quiet moment. He glanced up at Sulu from time to time, noting how pale the pilot looked despite his blank expression. Pavel let out a small sigh. It was partly his fault this had happened. If he had just sat down with Sulu and not wanted to introduce his friends, this wouldn't have happened. He knew it wasn't his fault that the initial fight happened, but maybe he could've prevented it. Maybe he should've spoken sooner. He had known about Hutch's temper, but he supposed he was somehow hoping it would've gone better...

Chekov shook his head as they stopped outside Sulu's door, pushing the thoughts away. He managed a smile to Hikaru and nodded a little. "I'd like to come in, if zhat is okay."

“Y-yeah.” Sulu answered automatically, too caught up in his own mind to even think of refusing. He reached over quickly to open the door, crossing his arms as he walked in to try and hide the slight tremble there. “Just… make yourself at home.” He offered lamely, eyes roving across the room restlessly.

This was… not an ideal circumstance for Sulu. He was so keyed up, but there wasn’t a way for him to tell Chekov to leave. And he didn’t understand why the kid was still here in the first place. He didn’t want to sit down, and standing still was an effort, but he didn’t want to pace around because that would cause questions. And he couldn’t afford to be weak here. Instead he shifted over to one side of the room, leaning his back to the wall and watching Chekov.

Chekov hesitated a moment, watching Sulu, before heading in. The door closed softly behind him and it was finally just the two of them. His eyes roamed around, heart breaking slightly at how bare the room looked. Sure, Sulu hadn't been stationed on the Enterprise long, but most people Chekov knew liked to decorate their room as soon as possible. To make it homey.

This room was about as far away from homey as it could get and it pained Pavel. Half watching Hikaru out of the corner of his eye, Chekov carefully sat on the bed, leaning against the head of it while hugging his knees. He placed his chin on them and looked at Sulu.

"Are you okay?" He asked after a long silence. Chekov wasn't sure how else to say it. He knew the pilot wasn't okay at all, but it might've made him even more uncomfortable if he just came out and blurted something.

“I’m fine.” Sulu answered too quickly. He knew his tone was saying the exact opposite, and he probably looked defensive, standing stiffly by the wall. He made an effort to relax his tense muscles, moving over to a chair and sitting down.

Chekov bit his tongue, growing quiet again. "You can talk to me if you vant," He said softly, gaze drifting down to the bedsheets. "Or if you vant me to leawe.. I can." He really didn't want to. He didn't want to leave Sulu alone, but if that was what was needed, then he would do it.

“What are you doing here?” Sulu asked quietly, trying to keep his voice even. He couldn’t stop himself from asking. There was no reason Chekov had to still be here. Sulu had already insulted his friend, been rude before they’d even gone on shift, and had for all appearances insulted the Russian while on shift.

"You need a friend," Chekov replied steadily. He had seen Sulu walking around alone since day one. Occasionally with the captain, but Kirk was busy and while he tried his best, he couldn't always be there. Sulu needed someone who would be around most of the time and Pavel hoped to everything that he was that someone.

Sulu huffed at that, standing up and pacing shortly. “Friends are dangerous.” He muttered, glancing at Chekov every so often. “But what do you want?” He asked after a few moments.

Chekov blinked. That hadn't been at all the reply he was expecting. He watched Sulu pace for a few minutes, trying to process what he had said. "Vhat do you mean?" he asked finally, head tilted in confusion. "Friends are a great zhing."

“No.” Sulu snapped, coming to a stop. “Friends pretend, then leave you stranded on some god forsaken planet.” He turned pacing again, words just tumbling out. “Here, meet these friends of mine. We’ll sell you in six months, but let’s be best pals until then. Oh you’ll make new friends where you’re going, and watch them be tortured because of you, killed when you turn out to be more useful. But, oh, friends are a _great_ thing.”

He hadn’t stopped pacing and had nearly forgotten all about Chekov in the room, eyes distant as he spoke. “ _Friends._ How great. Another thing for them to make you do what they want. Why the hell would I want more of those? Like they don’t have enough on me?”

Chekov flinched at Sulu initial reaction, watching with wide eyes as the man continued to speak. He didn't know what to think. Was this how they had treated him on the Indiana? Just befriended him falsely and left him to die? He closed his eyes, trying to keep the nausea down. He felt so sick. How could people do that? It was so horrible. Now he understood why Sulu had been so wary, why he had left so suddenly earlier. It was such a valid reason and Pavel didn't blame him at all for it.

He was surprised to open his eyes and find himself shaking. He curled his hands into tight fists, pressing them against his legs. "Not eweryone is like zhat..." He said quietly, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. "True friends vould newer do zhat."

Sulu didn’t look at Chekov, hearing him speak by not comprehending the words. It was a very good thing he didn’t have any possession, there’d have been quite a few been broken by now. Instead he stopped, standing still and tense. He frowned over at Chekov, eyes narrowed. “I’m not going to fall for it again.”

Chekov stood up slowly, keeping his eyes locked on Sulu. He was tense, ready to dodge a punch if it came to that, though he doubted it would. Sulu didn't strike him as the violent type, but even calm people changed in a situation like this.

He lifted his head, trying to appear braver than he actually felt. "Vell, I'm going to be you friend vhezher you like eet or not." He swallowed again, hoping his quivering legs would hold him just a bit longer. His voice softened and he took a tiny step closer to Sulu, looking him in the eye. "Because you need a good one."

“And, what? You expect me to just believe you? I’ve wanted friends before and look where it got me.” Hikaru snapped, stepping back slightly when Chekov moved closer. After a few moments, he let out a sigh, glancing away. The kid’s words brought him more into the present, mind less wrapped up in Reagis III as the anger faded, giving way to resignation. “They all died. You don’t want to be friends with me, I let them all die.”

Chekov frowned, flinching away subconsciously. He waited a bit for Sulu to calm down before straightening again, peeking into his line of sight. "How do you know if zhey _all_ die if you von't giwe me a chance?"

“I’ve watched enough good people die, I don’t want to see that happen to you.” Sulu admitted. He didn't have a good answer to Chekov's question, so deflecting was his best defense there.

Chekov shrugged lightly. "Ve all hawe to die sometime," He countered, gently poking Sulu's arm. "And unless you murder me, my deazh von't be your fault."

Sulu pulled a face at that the last comment, because honestly it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Chekov didn’t need to hear that though. He shook his head, not rejecting Chekov, just… not able to completely accept that the kid was really this determined.   
“If you’re that determined...” He said eventually in a soft tone, shrugging lightly.

Chekov couldn't keep his face straight, letting a large smile light up his face. It was hesitant, but it was ultimately a yes in Pavel's book. Without even thinking, he wrapped his arms around Hikaru in a hug. "Starting today, I'm going to show you vhat real friendship looks like."

Sulu tensed initially, almost pulling away in surprise. He hesitated a moment before returning the hug, wrapping his arms around Chekov and just clinging to him. He’d forgotten this. His ‘friends’ on the Indiana had been far more rough in their affections, if you could call them that, wrestling or sparring. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed just being close to someone without any expectations of… anything.

“Thanks…” He muttered, voice thick. He didn’t know how Chekov was going to do it, but knew already the kid wouldn’t stop til he had.

At first, Chekov thought he'd done something wrong and was about to pull away, but then Sulu copied Pavel's action. Chekov smiled, overwhelmed with happiness. He knew it would take a while to get Sulu's trust, but right now he was more or less accepting the thought of friends and that was a big leap in and of itself. He wondered if he would be able to live up to his promise. Right now, he knew he could, but when things got tough would he stay by Sulu's side? He surely hoped so.


	5. Chapter 5

**10 days later**

 

Hillary Tomlinson was over the moon with excitement. She was a junior security officer, and she was so extra excited for this assignment. She’d been on the bridge when the mission directives had come in and Kirk had told Spock who to put on it. She’d snuck over to the captain a moment later, asking if she could be the one to tell Chekov. She’d had a crush on the Russian for so long, but she was too shy to approach him. But this was the perfect opportunity.

Kirk had laughed, but he’d given her the data PADD and shooed her out. She would swear up and down to anyone that Jim Kirk was secretly a matchmaker and like pairing people up. Not that she minded, because now she had a good excuse to go talk to Pavel.

Hillary had to ask around to find out where Chekov was, she didn’t have his schedule or habits memorized (she wasn’t a stalker). Eventually she found him on the observation deck. She took a moment to compose herself before she walked over, face slightly flushed with nerves. “Um… Hey, Chekov?” She spoke lightly, nervous at interrupting his time off, though she was smiling just being in front of him.

It had been awhile since he had studied any star charts and since it was his day off, he decided now would be the best time for review. He had been deep in thought (trying to differentiate Vulcan and Romulan stars), when a voice interrupted him.

He looked up, heart instantly leaping into his throat as he locked eyes with Hillary. She was one of the newer officers and Chekov could remember the day she arrived clear as day. He remembered going to bubble to Sulu about her and about how much he wanted to talk to her but had been too nervous to approach her. Now here she was right in front of him saying 'hey'. Chekov could feel the blush begin to creep up his face and he had to duck his head for a few seconds. "Hey Miss Tomlinson," he greeted, lifting his head again, though this time trying to avoid eye contact.

Hillary’s smile brightened as Pavel acknowledged her, heart skipping as he met her eye for a moment. She could _not_ believe how lucky she was right now. “Are.. um, you busy?” She asked. “I just came off the bridge, and I have some really exciting news. I mean I hope you’ll think it’s exciting too, I do, I mean.” She took a breath, blushing furiously as she stopped her rambling. She shifted a bit, embarrassed, but no less thrilled.

Chekov blinked, processing her words, before hastily rolling up the charts. "I vasn't busy," He assured her quickly, grabbing the ones on the chair next to him and throwing them beside him on the floor. He looked at her with a nervous grin and gestured to the chair next to him, heart pounding wildly. "Sit down. Vhat's zhe exciting news?" He shifted some in his seat, unable to keep still. She was going to sit so close... Chekov was certain his heart was going to explode at the rate it was going.

Relieved she hadn’t made a complete fool of herself, Hillary slid into the seat next to Chekov. She blushed slightly as her arm brushed his, laying the data PADD on the table. “We get to go on an away mission with the captain!” She grinned, delighted. She was _so_ lucky. She was going to be in a shuttle with Chekov, and she’d get to work closely with the captain. She was ecstatic to be on the mission with Chekov, it was a wonderful excuse to get to know him without feeling like she was a bother.   
And being on a mission that was important enough to need the captain’s attention was sure to give her some amazing experience that would hopefully promote her up to ensign soon. “I know that part probably isn’t that exciting to you. You and Captain Kirk seem pretty close friends.” Not that she was jealous of Kirk over that or anything… …

She flushed, looking down at the table, speaking quietly. “I’m really excited to work with you most of all.”

A new round of red came around as their arms touched for a split second. Chekov jerked his hand away, but couldn't help but smile. He watched her closely as she announced the news, laughing some at her excitement. A mission with Hillary and Kirk? He didn't think the day could get any better, but it just had. Maybe if the mission went well they could hang out more often after it, since they're acquainted now.

Chekov smiled widely, barely hearing what she had just said. His excitement was overflowing and before he knew it, he was leaning over and giving her a hug. He pulled away as soon as he realized what he was doing, however, face completely red. "Sorry...." he mumbled, nearly reverting to Russian out of nervousness.

Hillary flushed completely red at the hug, though before she had a chance to return it, Chekov was pulling away. Outwardly, she managed a laugh, shaking her head slightly. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I come from a very affectionate family. Hugs are part of the territory.” She assured him, shifting just the tiniest bit closer.

Inwardly, she was so ecstatic because CHEKOV HAD JUST HUGGED HER. Just _wait_ til she got hold of her friend Lilly, she was going to be reliving this moment for the next week. Lilly as going to be so sick of her gushing, if she wasn’t already. Hillary had been talking about Chekov ever chance she got.

She cleared her throat a little, covering her own embarrassment, because she probably had overshared on that family thing. “Oh, um, it’s not just going to be the three of us too. I think the ambassador from the planet is going to be there, and that new pilot is on the mission too. I think… Hikaru Sulu was his name?” She didn’t know much about Sulu, but she’d seen Chekov walking with someone who looked like he fit the name, so she took a chance on Pavel knowing him.

Chekov forced a small chuckle and smile at Hillary's reply. She seemed okay with the hug so he didn't feel _as_ embarrassed. He was tempted to go in for another one, but knew it would be a bit inappropriate. She smelled almost as he had imagined, but sweeter. Was it perfume? Probably not. She didn't seem like the kind of girl that would wear that kind of stuff.

Chekov smiled absently, suddenly getting the urge to lean in closer. He shifted some in his seat, leaning more to her side than the other, but mainly refrained from moving into her comfort zone. Slowly coming out of his own world, he looked at Hillary with a brightened expression. "Sulu is coming as vell?" He exclaimed with disbelief. "Zhat is vonderful! All zhis is vonderful!"

She grinned widely at his excitement, glad he was as happy with this as she was. “The mission came in last minute, so the briefing is tomorrow at 0600.” Hillary paused for a moment. Message delivered, she should probably let Chekov get back to his time off, but she reluctant to leave now that she was actually sitting next to and speaking with Chekov. “Um… the captain said it would be alright to tell Sulu as well, if you want to.” She reached over, toying with the data PADD idly, keeping her hands busy to resist the urge to reach out for Pavel’s hand.

Chekov giggled quietly, nodding. "Yes, I vill go tell him..." He trailed off, glancing over at her for a few seconds, before his gaze fell. "Zhank you for telling me." He said slowly, rising to his feet. His limbs felt heavy and he didn't want to leave, but if he stayed, the situation would only be more awkward.

Hillary stood up as well, blushing and fidgeting with the PADD. “Um… do you think it would be okay if I came with you?” She asked, a little hesitantly. She didn’t want to be a bother, but she really wanted to spend some more time with Chekov. “I mean, I’ve never spoken with Sulu before, and it would probably be best to at least introduce myself before the mission, and well…” She trailed off, studying the PADD face completely red. She felt so embarrassed, babbling on like that.

Chekov smiled, nodding vigorously. "Yes! Of course you can come. I vas uh, hoping you'd say zhat...." He blushed nervously and turned away. At his side his fingers twitched as he wondered how soft her hands were... He shook his head. Now wasn't the time. He glanced back at her for a moment, making sure she was ready, before walking forward, head ducked as he tried to conceal his flushed face.

Hillary smiled brightly up at him at that. “Really? Thank you!” She walked along beside him, trying to contain herself and not bounce along and make herself look foolish. She walked quietly for a few moments, heart racing with excitement as she shifted a little closer, hand brushing his lightly.

Chekov inhaled sharply at the slight touch. Another round of excitement rolled around and he inched closer to her, letting their arms brush for just a moment. He smiled some, wondering if she noticed or not. He wanted to look over and see if she was smiling as well, but didn't trust himself not to blush.

“So… um.. What’s Sulu like?” Hillary asked, hoping to keep the silence from becoming awkward. She didn’t want to make Chekov uncomfortable. Just the thought of doing that made her a little sad. She glanced over at him quickly, biting her lip slightly and smiling at his expression. She really wanted to hold his hand, but was too nervous to make the first move.

"He's amazing," Pavel replied, scratching the back of his neck as he spoke. "He's funny, sassy, kind. An all-around great guy." he took a deep breath and looked over at her. "I bet you'll like him."

“Really? That’s good.” She nodded to herself for a moment. “To be honest, I was a little worried about that. I haven’t been on board long, and everyone says he’s so standoffish. He’s always seemed kind of intimidating to me.” She flushed, looking over at Pavel with wide eyes, worried she insulted him. “I don’t mean that in a bad way! Just that I’ve always just seen him with the captain, and you more recently, and I’m just a junior security officer, so the senior staff are all kind of intimidating, so it’s nothing against him. Or you!” She let out a short little groan, putting a hand over her face, feeling the heat there. “I’m sorry, I should just stop talking now.”

Chekov let out a laugh. "He's a bit shy, I'll varn you of zhat, but he definitely von't bite." He chuckled, pausing a moment. There were a few seconds of inward turmoil, and when he finally moved again, he hesitatingly wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Not much offends me, so you don't have to vorry about zhat," He said with a forced chuckle, trying to play it cool.

A lot of people did this with friends so maybe she wouldn't take it how Chekov actually meant it. "Oh, and I don't mind you talking. Talk all you vant." He gave her a small smile, hoping she wouldn't be able to feel him shaking.

Hillary leaned into Chekov slightly, emotions conflicted between complete utter embarrassment at sounding like such an idiot and joy at having Chekov’s arm around her. “I have a bad habit of babbling on and on when I’m nervous.” She admitted, flushing _again_ at those words.

Chekov stifled another laugh, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. "At least you don't drop into anozher language vhen you are super nerwous," he stated, biting his tongue afterwards. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that.  
Hillary laughed brightly, shaking her head. “Yeah, that’s true.” She giggled, shifting and nudging him softly, taking a chance and teasing him some. “I think that would be super cute though.”

Chekov grinned. "I suppose eet could be, until you don't know you did eet zhen find out vhen someone giwes you a blank look." It had happened on numerous occasions and while he was getting better at it, it still happened from time to time. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness when they reached Sulu's quarters, however.

Sure, he was excited to see his best friend and tell him the good news, but he also wanted to be this close with Hillary forever. He gave her a gentle squeeze, before returning his arm to his side, already missing her warmth. "Here ve are," he said with a small smile, fiddling with his sleeve nervously.

She nodded in understand, that was a side of it she hadn’t considered. She missed his arm over her shoulder, wanting to take his hand just to keep some contact though she didn’t. Now wasn’t the time for that, she was about to meet the chief helmsman, one of the ranking officers on the ship and Chekov’s friend. She looked over at Chekov, meeting his eyes. “Thanks again for this.”

Chekov matched Hillary's eye contact, blush rising though this time he didn't look away. He mumbled something that vaguely sounded like Russian to him, but he barely noticed it. He leaned in a little, stepping closer to her. He could feel his heart start to beat faster, as it had when they first spoke minutes ago.


	6. Chapter 6

Sulu was headed back to his room from sickbay, the visit having gone a little over the allotted time. McCoy’d gone on a rant about him taking proper care of himself. He didn’t worry too much about the doctor being upset, he’d already concluded that despite his gruff exterior, Bones was a good guy. And it was always funny to watch Kirk tease and badger the doctor good naturedly, even if Sulu hadn’t quite reached the point where he was comfortable enough doing the same. McCoy’s threats to Kirk about hypos sometimes made Sulu tense, he didn’t want to deal with those threats, empty as they were, leveled against him.

He slowed as he noticed a couple of people standing in front of his room, instantly wary, though he relaxed as he realized one of them was Chekov. He wandered over, glancing between the two of them. They were way deep in a ‘moment.’ He hid a smug little grin, that little streak of mischief in him coming out.

“I’m going to guess you’re looking for me?”

Chekov jumped at the voice, whirling around with wide eyes. He relaxed some as he saw it was only Sulu, but couldn't help but duck his head in embarrassment.

"Oh, hey Hikaru," He greeted shyly, tugging his shirt down some. He rose his head a few seconds later, gaze switching between Hillary and Sulu. "I vant you to meet Hillary Tomlinson. Hillary, Sulu. Sulu, Hillary." He grinned widely and stepped beside her, beaming at Sulu. He gave the pilot the tiniest of winks, and his expression said ‘don't you dare say I talked about her.’

Hillary blushed deeply, jumping and turning away slightly. _Had Chekov been about to kiss her??_ Oh, WHY did Sulu have to show up when he did? Her heart was still racing as she turned back to them as Chekov began introductions. This was _not_ how she pictured this meeting going. She looked down briefly, trying reign herself in, then smiled up at Sulu. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Sulu raised one eyebrow at Chekov, smirking a bit before turning a smile to Hillary. “Same.” He tilted his head a little, smile turning a bit wistful. “Tomlinson huh? Knew someone with that last name, long time ago. He used to be a lawyer.” He held out a hand, Hillary shaking it briefly.

“No lawyers in my family.” She chuckled. “Mom wanted, but I couldn’t resist the stars.” She folded her hands behind her back, still blushing slightly. She glanced over at Chekov, probably a mistake because she could just _feel_ her face reddening further. “Did you want to tell him?”

Sulu’s gaze slid over to Chekov at that question. “Something to tell me Pav?” He chuckled, grinning.

Hillary wanted to just die of embarrassment at that smug tone.

While the two of them spoke, Chekov was trying his best to calm himself. Sulu had the worst timing and if he ever caught the Asian with someone, you bet he was going to interrupt. When the focus was suddenly on him, he froze, mind blanking.

"Um..." He looked at Hillary for a few seconds, then at Sulu, who's attention was fully on him. His mind went blank and he knew without looking that his face was completely red. "Ve are, uh... All zhree of us, er, and zhe keptain." He blinked, eyes traveling anywhere but Sulu.

"I mean…" He paused, trying to formulate the words. He finally managed to gain some composure and returned his gaze to Hikaru with a small smile. "Vhat I mean to say, is, is zhat ve are all going on a mission. Togezher!"

“Yes!” Hillary chimed in, drawing Sulu’s attention to her. “Um… here.” He offered the data PADD to the pilot, flushing under his still very smug expression. “The briefing is tomorrow, 0600.”

Sulu took the PADD, skimming through it, smugness kind of fading. A mission? Delightful. But Kirk was going, so he wasn’t actually worried about it. Which rather surprised him.

“Anyway.” Hillary spoke again. “Um… It’s.. it’s been great to meet you, I just wanted to introduce myself before the mission, we’ve never actually talked before. And Chekov was nice enough to introduce us. So… um. I should probably be going. I just got off shift, and I’ve got some reports to do, and the meeting tomorrow is early.” She stopped, taking a breath and turning to Chekov. “Thanks again, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned, face still completely red as she walked off, head down not sure if she should be pleased or mortified.

Chekov raised a hand in silent farewell as she left, both relieved and disappointed. Maybe he could catch her later and they could talk again. Being with her was one of the most stressful, but best thing that had ever happened to him. As soon as she rounded the corner and was out of sight, Chekov's legs gave way and he sagged against the wall, covering his face with his hands. He was smiling despite his flushed features. He still couldn't believe that had just happened. And what had just _almost_ happened.

“She’s adorable.” Sulu commented, going to sit beside Chekov, ignoring the couple of odd looks they got from one or two passing crewmen.

Chekov nodded quietly, letting his hands fall onto his lap. "I can't beliewe... Hikaru, zhat vas zhe girl I told you about avhile ago." he smiled, eyes getting a faraway look in them as he reminisced. "She's zhe most amazing girl..."

Sulu chuckled slightly, nodding. “I figured. Going by the way you were making eyes at her, it couldn’t have been anyone else.”

Chekov looked at Sulu with wide eyes, blush returning. "Vas I really being zhat obwious?" he asked, before groaning lightly and leaning his head back until he hit the wall. He knew he wasn't being the most discreet, but if everyone had seen and known...

Sulu laughed at that, standing up and holding a hand out to Chekov. “Come on. No moping allowed, you’ve got a new girlfriend.” Really, it was too easy to tease the kid.

"Girlfriend..?" he repeated, taking Sulu's hand and rising on shaking legs. "Eet has a strange ring to eet..." he mouthed the word a few more times, silently. It didn't sound _bad_ , but he would hardly call Hillary his girlfriend. They had just met! Surely she didn't feel for him in that way anyway, so why get his hopes up... Chekov frowned a little. What if she ended up liking Sulu more? He was older, more mature. Pavel was barely coming up to his eighteenth birthday. It wasn't even legal for him to drink yet! On earth anyway.

He decided to keep these thoughts to himself, instead settling to watching Sulu and Hillary closely when they were around each other. If anything was suspected, _then_ he would come to Sulu. Blinking out of his daze, Chekov smiled some at his friend. "How did zhe doctor's wisit go?" he inquired, wanting to get the topic off of him.

Sulu chuckled, but let Chekov change the subject. He might like teasing him, but he wasn’t going to push it too far. “Everything’s going fine. McCoy’s being picky about my diet, again. Same old lecture.” He shrugged, not particularly liking that subject. Sure, he was completely healed but it took a little longer to reverse the effects of malnutrition. He entered his quarters, waving to Chekov as invitation.

Chekov followed Sulu into his room, playfully poking him in the stomach. "He's probably right," he smirked. "You're nearly zhe same veight as me!" He had had a couple of arguments with McCoy about his diet as well. It always ended with a promise to eat more, forgetting, and ending up in the same vicious circle.

Sulu sighed, shaking his head. “McCoy’s just never happy.” He snorted, because it was kind of a joke, and flopped down on the couch. “So… an away mission.” He commented, leaning his head back and staring up at the ceiling. He still had the data PADD Hillary had given him, and he glanced at it for a brief moment.

Chekov stepped onto the bed and rolled over on his back, placing his hands behind his head. He grinned. "Mmhm. Zhis vill be your first mission since you vere transferred here, right? Are you excited?"

Sulu was quiet for a moment, deliberation. “More nervous, than excited.” He finally admitted, not looking over at Chekov. He wasn’t completely at ease saying it.

Chekov nodded. "Zhat's understandable," he said, propping himself on one elbow so he could look at Sulu. "Avay missions aren't all... How does eet go.. 'butterflies and flovers?'" He shook his head. It didn't matter. "But eet vill be okay because I vill be zhere vith you. And Keirk."

Sulu couldn’t help laughing at the way Chekov spoke that old saying. He sat up, shoulders shaking as he tried to contain it. “Yeah…” He sighed, grinning a bit and glancing over at Chekov. “I’d definitely glad Jim’s going.” He liked Chekov, was even starting to trust him, but he really trusted Kirk. After how much the captain had done for him, how could he not.

“It’s just….” He shrugged. “It’s stupid. I’ll probably feel better after the briefing.” He got up, wandering over to the bed and flopping down beside Chekov.

Chekov giggled quietly, shifting to curl right beside Sulu. He had learned over the past couple of days that the Asian really enjoyed cuddles, and Pavel hoped to make him feel better. "Eet is probably just some sort of scientific mission," he thought aloud. "I bet ve are going to research some plants. You like plants."

Sulu nodded agreeably, though he didn’t really think that was the case. Mission that came up on such short notice didn’t usually involve things like that. But he shrugged it off, curling happily up next to Chekov. “So, go on. I know you want to talk about her.” He grinned a little, changing the subject back to Chekov.

Chekov smiled with a small amount of blush. "You know me too vell," he stated with a laugh. He settled in, trying to think of a good way to start. There really wasn't any, so he simply decided to bounce around. Sulu never seemed to mind when he did that, anyway.

"She smells really good," he began, feeling a bit awkward talking about it. "I accidently hugged her. I zhink ve almost held hands a few times too, but eet didn't happen. I had my arm around her for avhile zhough..." He babbled on, falling into his own little world of thoughts while he talked.


	7. Chapter 7

It was easy for Sulu to fall asleep, listening to Chekov speak. Knowing someone was there was a comfort in and of itself. Before he knew it, there was an irritating beeping, his alarm going off. He blinked, sitting up slightly and looking at the time. 0500.  
Oh, good. So he wasn’t late then. He felt a bit of anxiety for the upcoming mission, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d felt before. He got up, stretching lightly, feeling well rested for once.

Pavel hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until the bed shifted and the warmth was suddenly gone from his side. Chekov opened his eyes blearily, yawning as he realized he accidently stayed the night. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, hair tousled and extremely curly. "Good morning," he greeted Sulu with a drowsy smile. "Sorry I stayed zhe night..."

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” He muttered, still drowsy as he ran a hand through his hair. “Stay over any time.” He stood still, just kind of blinking around, wavering a bit unsteadily as he tried to wake up enough to have the energy to move.

Chekov closed his eyes and nodded silently in thanks, before rolling to the side and off the bed. He landed on the floor with a loud thud, simply laying there and trying to decide what he was going to do next and how.

"How much time until zhe briefing?" He asked, turning his head to Sulu could hear him.

Sulu blinked down at Chekov, frowning for a moment. “Umm… Bout an hour.” He finally figured out after staring at the time for a minute.

Chekov pushed himself up off the ground and turned to Sulu, nodding again. "Okay, zhanks. I'm going to go change and get some food." He grinned, moving towards the door. "I'll see you later?"

Sulu nodded at that, giving Chekov a little ‘shoo shoo’ wave. “Save me a toast or something.”

Chekov laughed quietly and slid out the door, hobbling back to his quarters. He wished it was closer. It would make sleepovers and visits a lot easier. Still, it only took about ten minutes to get back, and as soon as he entered he slipped out of his clothes and made his way to the shower. He wondered if he would be able to find Hillary anywhere before 0600. It would be nice to talk to her a little bit, privately before the mission. She would probably either be in the cafeteria or her quarters, and since he didn't know where the latter was, the cafeteria was his best bet.

Eager to see if she was there, he finished his shower quickly, put on a clean uniform, then stepped out the door. All the way to the mess hall, he fiddled with his shirt and finger combed his hair, trying to make himself look just right. Only the best for Hillary.

Once there, he paused hesitatingly outside the doors, heart beating fast. She probably wasn't even there. Why was he getting all worked up?

Because there was a small possibility that she was. Chekov swallowed nervously and tried to stop his shaking by clasping his hands behind him firmly. Now or never. He took a deep breath and walked in, swiftly scanning the room for her familiar face.

Hillary was sitting in the cafeteria amid a group of her friends, the four of them giggling and laughing over some story. After while the other three stood up, waving farewell as the left to start their shifts. Hillary finished eating, smiling down at her tray, shaking her head at the tales her friends came up with sometimes. She glanced at the time. She still had near half an hour before the briefing was scheduled to begin.

As soon as he spotted her, Chekov's face lit up. It dropped just as instantly, however, as he noted the friends she was with. Brushing it off, he decided to go grab some food before he made any decisions. He grabbed a bowl of cereal and some juice, turned around, and was pleasantly surprised to see the trio leaving. That left Hillary wide open. He stepped forward again, striding over to her table confidently. He smiled at her and could already feel the anxious blush rising. "Mind if I sit here?" He inquired politely.

Hillary looked up, brightening at seeing Chekov. And he wanted to sit with her! “Sure, yes!” She grinned, waving a hand at the seat. “Good morning!”

Setting down the tray, Chekov couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. "You are wery perky today," He commented cheerfully, her happiness spreading to him almost immediately.

She blushed, biting her lip and looking down. She shrugged a little, looking back up at him, unable to contain her excitement. “I’ve always been a morning person, but today I’m just…” She let out an elated sigh. “Oh, just so excited! I’ve never been on a mission with so many high ranking officers, and it’s just. I’m thrilled. And I get to work with you on this too, and oh, I’m just really excited about it.” She laughed, shaking her head. “Sorry, I’m really energetic this morning.”

Chekov laughed with her. "Don't apologize!" He urged. "Newer apologize for getting excited about somezhing." He grinned, taking a spoonful of cereals before continuing. "Besides, I'm pretty excited too! Vhat do you zhink ve are going down to do? I bet ve are going to study plants."

Hilary bounced a little, pushing her tray away and leaning forward. “From what I heard, which wasn’t much okay, there’s this problem with some of the citizens, and they need some help drawing up some treaty or something. And they offered to let us look at some water hydro, energy thing.” She shrugged at that last part, having no idea what it was. Only that it was mentioned in the transmission the other day. “I think that’s just something the governing body threw in as an incentive. There might be plants, I don’t actually know. I only heard a little of the transmission while I was on duty yesterday.”

His eyes widened as she spoke, and his excitement grew. Some sort of energy? That could be fun. "Sounds dangerous," he stated, giving her a mock, suspicious glare and eyebrow wiggle. "Newer fear, I vill protect you!"

At the back of his mind he realized that she was a security officer and that _she_ would probably be protecting _him_ , but she was so small and Pavel couldn't help but be protective of her.

Hillary giggled at that, leaning back. “I don’t know how dangerous it’ll be considering Kirk will be there too.” She shook her head. While she hadn’t known the captain that long, she’d heard enough stories to know that if there were any danger, the man would go running headlong into it to protect his team. It made her job a bit harder, she was supposed to be the security after all, but it was comforting considering this was her first official away mission.

Hikaru wandered into the mess hall at about ten minutes before they needed to be at the briefing, looking around for Chekov.

The two had been deep in conversation and Chekov nearly missed Sulu. Only when there was a slight lull in talk did he glance around and spot the man. He smiled and waved him over, before glancing at a clock on the wall. His mouth fell open, and he looked at Hillary with surprise twinkling in his eyes.

"I completely lost track of time!" He exclaimed, before bursting into a fit of giggles.

Sulu headed over to their table in time to hear Chekov’s comment on the time. He lifted an eyebrow, smiling as Hillary joined in on the giggling. He had no idea why that was so funny. But then again, it was still really early, and he could already tell both of these two were those kind of people. Morning people.

“Right, right.” Hillary said once she’d gotten her giggles under control. “We should get moving. I don’t want to keep the captain waiting.” That would set a bad example. Not to mention she absolutely hated being late.

Chekov nodded, eager to get the away mission started. He stood up and grabbed both of their trays, moving back to return them to the replicators. While he was there, he got some fresh toast and walked over to Sulu with a mischievous smirk.

"Toast," He said simply, handing it out to him.

Sulu accepted the toast, nodding appreciatively at Chekov. He’d actually forgotten all about asking, and was happy Chekov had remembered. He really didn’t want another lecture from McCoy. “Thanks.” He said, raising the bread in a mock impersonation of a toast (like a drink? Get it?). He munched on his breakfast, leading the way to the conference room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the multiple chapters I dumped on here all at once! Don't expect that all the time. 
> 
> I adore comments! You have no idea! I get a comment and I just hop around super excited! So leave me a comment! Mkay?


	8. Chapter 8

Kirk lounged in the conference room, waiting for the other officers to arrive as he went through the mission schedule. It looked to be a pretty easy mission, which is why he’d put Sulu on it. Kirk needed to be there to deal with the ambassadors as well, which should put the pilot at ease. He wasn’t just going to throw the man to the deep end of the pool for his first away mission after only being back in Starfleet for three weeks.

Chekov walked beside Hillary and followed Sulu to the conference room. Kirk was already there which was no surprise, and the Russian smiled in greeting. He moved around to the side and slipped quietly into a chair, assuming a more professional demeanor as he sat up straighter than normal. He wasn't completely somber, however, for as soon as he sat down he began to swivel the chair back and forth, more sub consciously than not.

Sulu and Hillary took their seats after exchanging greetings with Kirk.

Jim slid some data PADDS around, taking a deep breath as he jumped right into the parameters of the mission.

“Alright, so the mission’s pretty cut and dry. The Angorians joined the federation two months ago. They’ve been having some trouble with some citizens and have asked us to help them draw up some appropriate laws and guidelines, something more like what the Federations has rather than their traditional, stricter, laws.” Kirk explained briefly. “We’ll be taking a shuttle; the dense ionic atmosphere makes the transporter too unstable to use. I’ll be dealing with the ambassadors. They’ve offered to let us look at one of their hydro converters, so you’ll have some new toys to play with Chekov.”

He grinned teasingly at the Russian. Starfleet wasn’t too interested in the technology, but it would have been rude to refuse the Angorian council. Kirk knew Chekov had an interest in those things, so it had been easy to assign the kid to the mission, especially as he’d noticed Chekov and Sulu becoming friends. This would hopefully give the pilot some more peace of mind about the mission.

“Sulu’s our driver and Hillary’s the security detail.” He added, nodding at each of them respectively as he mentioned them. “Ambassador Nure will be joining us. The USS Victoria is currently in orbit over Angor and the ambassador is on board.” Kirk sighed, shaking his head a little. He had no idea why the captain of the Victoria couldn’t handle this, but he’d gotten orders to go, so here they were. “He’ll join us on the shuttle before we depart.”

Kirk leaned back in his seat, glancing between them all. “Any questions?”

Chekov returned the grin, excitement rising. A new hydro converter... Maybe he could get some blueprints of it to show Scotty. He was slightly disappointed that the chief engineer wasn't coming along, but it was understandable as this was simply the sort of mission where they went down, did some stuff, then leave. Seemed easy enough. He listened intently until the end, shaking his head as there were no questions he had to ask.

Hillary raised her hand a little uncertain and awkward, leaning forward a bit as Kirk acknowledged her. “Sir, I’m the only security officer on the mission?”

“Yeah.” Kirk nodded, shrugging. “The treaty between the Argonian council and the Federation limits the number of security officers we can have in the capital at one time. We won’t be going anywhere but the main council building, so I wouldn’t worry about it.”  
Hillary nodded, accepting Kirk’s assurance and settled back.

“Okay, super easy.” Kirk grinned after Sulu indicated that he hadn’t any questions. “So, we’ll be in orbit soon. Report to the shuttle bay in one hour.” Kirk stood up, frowning as the communications officer came in the room, heading over to him. “You guys are dismissed.” He told the group, moving over to speak with the officer.

Chekov stood up and stepped into the hall, grinning at the two once they were all out. "This is going to be great!" he exclaimed, gaze switching between them. He did a small dance, unable to contain his enthusiasm. "And a hydro converter? I hawe only read about zhose, newer seen one in person." he grinned, hoping Hillary and Sulu were just as excited as he.

Hillary shifted happily from foot to foot, not quite the dance Chekov was doing, but her own little celebration none the less. That briefing was amazing. It was so amazing to her that the captain had taken the time to fully answer her questions and concerns about the mission. Sure, it was a standard thing for briefings, but still. It was _very_ cool to her.

“This _is_ going to be great!” Hillary agreed with Chekov’s sentiment. “I can’t wait to see these council buildings! I bet they’re huge and gorgeous. The Argonian’s sound like one of those old type cultures, with that really impressive architecture!”

Sulu shook his head, chuckling at the two of them. Like hyper kids that’d eaten too much sugar. And speaking of eating…

“Come on you two. Since we’ve got a little bit of time, I’d like some real food.” Now that he was awake, he was starting to feel hungry. And since he’d _literally_ had a very long chat yesterday on this subject with McCoy, he might as well do as the doctor had ordered. He started walking toward the mess hall, luckily is was more or less on the way to the shuttle bay anyways.

Hillary automatically followed after Sulu, near skipping over to Chekov and looping her arm in his to tug him along. “So, what’s this hydro converter thing?” She asked, a little breathless due to excitement over the mission, and nervousness at being so close to Pavel.

"Vell, from vhat I hawe read, eet is a dewice zhat conwerts vater, into energy." He spoke with energy, gesturing with his free hand. The other was currently looping around and absently playing with Hillary's fingers. He barely noticed he was doing it, mind buzzing about the mission, converter, and enjoying the touch of her arm against his.

"Say you hawe a pover out," He continued, looking at her with an animated face. "No pover, but you hawe all zhis vater. If you hawe a certain machine, you can suck up zhe vater and turn it into energy. Poof, no pover out!" He grinned. "Eet is a fairly old idea, but wery effective, from vhat I hawe heard."

Hillary listened in fascination to Chekov’s explanation. She completely loved how excited and animated he spoke. She curled her fingers around his, linking their hands together as they eventually made their way into the cafeteria. Not that she really noticed where they were, currently too wrapped up in listening to Chekov speak. “That’s really neat!”

Sulu found himself some food, though by the time he got through the mess line they didn’t have time for him to sit and eat, so he got a simple sandwich. Since Hillary and Chekov were completely absorbed in their conversation, and looked to be following him without really paying attention, Sulu led the way to the shuttle bay.

They were slightly early, Kirk was nowhere to be seen just yet. The Argonian Ambassador was hanging around by the shuttle though, which Sulu found a little odd. Why was he here by himself? He slowed down as they approached the shuttle, giving Hillary and Chekov a chance to finish the topic they were on and realize where they were.

Pausing in conversation, Chekov took notice of where they were and sighed quietly. It had been absolutely perfect to talk to Hillary so much, and as much as he wanted to continue it was time to be professional. He unlinked their arms after seeing the Ambassador, but longed for contact after just a few seconds. Giving in, he glanced over at Hillary and took her hand, smiling shyly.

Nure looked over at them as they approached, smiling and giving a short gesture before bowing. “Peace and prosperity to you.” He greeted them. His voice was soft and breathy, like one would expect from an elderly man. He wore very flowy robes, the cloth rough looking and seemed several sizes too big going by the numerous folds and overlapping.

Sulu returned the greeting, bowing slightly though he didn’t try to repeat the hand gesture. He knew he’d just get it wrong, and probably end up insulting the man.

Hillary followed Sulu’s lead, though she didn’t say anything, trying to keep from blushing too furiously at the feeling of Chekov’s hand in hers. She glanced over at Chekov with a small smile, happy to hold his hand, at least until the captain showed up and the mission began. Then she would have to make herself be more professional.

They stood there for a while in a not quite awkward silence. Ambassador Nure didn’t appear inclined to speak any more, instead busying himself looking slowly through a couple of data PADDS he produced from his robes. Sulu was almost ready to start worrying, because at this point Kirk was late, when he spotted the captain heading over.

Kirk jogged up to Chekov and Sulu, putting a hand on either of their shoulders as he came to a stop, standing between them. He grinned over at Hillary. “Miss Tomlinson, if you would be so kind as to give the Ambassador a tour of the shuttle, and a run down on some of the safety procedures?”

Hillary nodded, only a little confused though she followed Kirk’s hint. She turned to smile at the Ambassador, guiding him into the shuttle.

“Guys, need a sec to talk to you.” Kirk told Chekov and Sulu, pulling them away a few feet. Jim glanced over to where Hillary was speaking with the Ambassador, making sure that the Argonian was completely preoccupied.

“So, bad news. I won’t be going with you guys on this mission. Turns out, Pruitt had a few friends a little higher on the food chain than I expected. Some… person.” Kirk sighed, expression saying plainly he’d had another word in mind. “They’re trying for a court martial.”

This little issue was the entire reason the captain of the Victoria was not the one placed on this mission. And since they hadn’t informed him of the trial until they’d arrived, Kirk had no time to change up assignments. He, Spock, and McCoy were needed at the trial, Chekov and Sulu were on the away team, and Uhura wasn’t suited for command. He was shorthanded on who could take command while he was busy, and so he’d put Scotty in charge. If nothing else, the man would keep the ship safe, the crew along with it.


	9. Chapter 9

Immediately Chekov knew there was a problem. Kirk's expression said it all. He frowned as the captain spoke, apprehension rising. "So.." he started uncertainly. "Vhat you are saying, is zhat you vill not be coming vith us?" He knew it was going to be an easy mission so they didn't really _need_ Kirk, but he always was the best at straightening things out if something arose. He knew Sulu was really looking forward to him going too, so he had to be crushed.

“Unfortunately, no I won’t.” Kirk sighed.

“What do you mean, court martial? How are they justifying that?” Sulu asked, concerned. If this was because of him, and it probably was because Pruitt was involved, he wondered if he should be taken off the mission.

Jim snorted, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, they haven’t got a chance. I’d tell you Spock nearly laughed hearing their accusations, but I know you wouldn’t believe that.” He chuckled at that lame attempt at a joke. Going by Sulu’s still nervous expression it hadn’t worked.

“Look, take these.” He told them, producing three devices from his pocket. “Under no circumstance are you to let the ambassador or any of the Argonian council know you have them. They’ll enhance your biological signal and will make it possible to beam you back to the ship in case of an emergency. They’re one of Scotty’s experiments, so _only_ for emergencies.”

Sulu took one, frowning down at it briefly. “Why…”

“The Argonian’s are, to be blunt, paranoid. The only reason they even let us stay in orbit is that we can’t use our beaming technology to get to the surface. You get one of these to Miss Tomlinson as soon as possible. Let her know what it does. HQ wants this mission done, so we can’t put if off. But I’m not going to send you three down there without some way to get back if something happens.”

Kirk glanced over as Spock and a Starfleet Admiral entered the shuttle bay, heading their way. He couldn’t stop the mission, didn’t have time to reassign anyone, but he wasn’t going to let them go down there without a backup plan.

“I’ve given Nure enough documents he should be able to handle most of the negotiations. He might ask you guys some questions, just go with standard Starfleet regulations, that’s what they’re looking for anyway.”

Chekov glanced down at the devices, before discreetly slipping one into his pocket. He remembered Scotty boasting about something like this. It worried him some, however, as he distinctly recalled the chief engineer mentioning that he was far from done, but he wasn't about to bring his reservations up. It was better than nothing.

He was curious as to why Kirk had even brought them, though. If the Angorians were looking to make negotiations, they should be pretty peaceable, right? Chekov brushed the thought off, simply assuming that it was a "just in case" type thing. Still, he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. That something horrible was going to happen. Before he had time to question anything, the away mission was about to begin and all he could do was keep close to Sulu and try to keep down his apprehension.

Spock and the Admiral collected Kirk before the captain could say anything more to them, and Sulu watched them go uneasily. Despite Kirk’s reassurances, he felt guilty and uneasy. Guilty because if it weren’t for him, Jim wouldn’t have to be dealing with this. Nervous because he was going on an away mission with two crewmen, one of which was a friend. He’d been doing so much better lately, but this was just… so familiar and it twisted his stomach thinking about it.

He ignored the feeling, shaking his head slightly as he turned to prep the shuttle for departure. For now, he’d just concentrate on the issue at hand, getting them all down to the planet safely. After that, one of them would need to talk to Hillary about the devices.

Hillary gave the both of them an odd look, having settled the ambassador, though she didn’t say anything. She slid close to Chekov as Sulu brought the shuttle systems online, the pilot speaking to the bridge getting ready to depart.

“What’s up? Why isn’t the captain coming?” Hillary whispered to Chekov, keeping her voice low enough that Ambassador Nure couldn’t hear, the man was more interested in watching what Sulu was doing anyway.

Chekov bit his tongue and stood to the side, hands clasped behind him as he watched everyone. He relaxed some as Hillary came up beside him, though his grave expression never left. "He has to take care of some business vith zhe Wictoria," He replied, leaning close and making sure to keep his voice low.

Slowly, he took her hand and carefully placed the small device in it. "Here. Keep zhis hidden. Zhe keptain said ve are only to use eet for emergencies. Eet vill make beaming faster and easier." He straightened up, giving her an encouraging smile. "I doubt ve vill hawe to use eet."

Hillary nodded seriously, taking the devices and slipping it into her pocket. She hoped everything was alright, it was very irregular for Kirk to drop out of a mission so suddenly. She settled into a seat as Sulu received confirmation from the bridge they were cleared to leave.

Sulu piloted the shuttled with little to no difficulty down to the planet and to the coordinates given by the ambassador. They landed in what looked to be a large plaza made of a brilliant white marble, the council building a short distance away. Sulu settled the craft, shutting the systems down and opening the doors before standing up and looking over at the Ambassador.

“We’ve arrived at the coordinates, Ambassador.”

Nure smiled, bobbing his head slightly and fiddling with the seatbelt.

Hillary got up, heading over to assist him and helping him out of the shuttle.

Sulu glanced over at Chekov, smirking slightly. “Isn’t she just the sweetest?” He whispered teasingly, trying to lighten the mood as he headed outside.

Chekov giggled quietly and gave Sulu a playful shove. A tinge of red coated his cheeks, however, showing that Sulu's jest was a success. He hurried ahead and settled into a slow pace behind the ambassador and Hillary. She seemed to be doing a good job keeping him occupied, so Chekov set his attention to the surroundings. It really was a beautiful place. The architecture seemed way advanced beyond their years. With a small smirk, he leaned over to whisper to Sulu. "I vould not mind settling down here vhen I retire."

Sulu nodded, eyes on the surrounding buildings as they walked. This place was gorgeous. It was difficult to feel nervous in a place like this. The main council building was just as spectacular when they entered. The vaulted ceilings had some sort of designs etched on them, though Sulu had no clue what they meant.

Hillary and the Ambassador dropped back to walk beside them as they all entered the building. Nure waved one hand in a broad gesture, wheezing out. “Welcome to the Council Chambers of the Argonian council. This entire building is dedicated to this sole cause.”

Chekov's eyes widened as they entered the council building. The designs on the top were so intricate and gorgeous and he couldn't help but wonder how long it took to create. He looked around, trying to take in as much as possible.   
The pillars were as white as possible. Whiter than any white he had seen. He was mainly intrigued by the tiles on the floor. None of them were the same, each a different colour and design. The place was beyond beautiful, and he felt small and unimportant in the grand scheme of it all. "Eet is beautiful..." He breathed, almost scared to speak and disrupt the silence.

Nure dropped back, ruffling through his robes as the trio walked a few steps in front of him. He pulled the dark material away from him, straightening with sharp smirk as he called out to them. “I’m afraid there’s been a slight change in plans.”

The soft, elderly tone of voice was gone now, instead his voice was sharper and rough. The man held a phaser pointed toward them, one eyebrow raised. “If you would be so kind as to throw down your weapons. I know you have them.”

Sulu tensed as he turned to see the so called ‘ambassador’ with a weapon trained on them. He clenched his jaw, shifting slightly toward Chekov and Hillary, in case he needed to pull either of them out of the way should this turn ugly.

Chekov turned back to the ambassador, expecting them to have to leave and go to another building. Boy was he wrong. His heart was beating fast now, and he inched closer to Hillary so that he was somewhat in front of her and was stood beside Sulu. Slowly and with much hesitation, he drew out his phaser and laid it at his feet, leaving his hands raised in surrender. Fear and confusion fought to be the leading emotion, and the only thing he was consciously aware of, was that he had to protect Hillary and Sulu. He couldn't let anything happen to them. He wouldn't.

Hillary was wide eyed, shock turning to outrage at the man’s actions. She glared at the man, glancing over at Chekov and Sulu, following the other two’s lead as they tossed their phasers to the ground.

“I take it you’re not from the governing body here.” Sulu stated, drawing the man’s attention from the other two.

“Well, that rather depends on your point of view.” The man smirked, glancing to the side as more men came into view, weapons held at the ready and trained on the Starfleet officers.

Chekov swallowed as more men filed into the room. The tension in the room was high and it was extremely obvious. Without moving, he looked at what he could see and tried to gauge the situation. There wasn't exactly much hope for them at the moment, and there were too many people around for them to use their warning devices. One wrong move and they'd all be dead.

"So vhat exactly is you new plan?" He spoke, trying to buy them some time. Time to do what? He didn't know, but time was always good and right now it didn't look like they had much.

Nure ignored Chekov’s question for the moment, turning to two of his followers. “Take the pilot.” They nodded, already knowing the plan that was in place, and advanced forward. Nure turned a cold look at Sulu. “I’d suggest you cooperate. You are of some use to me now. I’d hate for that to change.”

He turned his attention to Hillary and Chekov as the guards advanced to take hold of Sulu. “I’m so very glad you asked. If you two would be so kind as to follow me, I’ll explain.” It wasn’t a request, the remaining soldiers moving forward to ensure their cooperation.

They couldn't take Sulu. He wouldn't allow it. But there was nothing he could do. Chekov looked at Sulu with an expression filled with sadness and fear, wishing to everything that there was something he could do. The "ambassadors" voice sent a chill down his back and his gaze instantly shifted to the floor, not daring to look at anyone least he do something he would regret.

The floor brought him down as well, though, with it's cheery colours. Moments ago it had brought him joy but now all he could think of was how it would look stained with blood. He frowned at himself. How could he have such thoughts? No, he had to at least keep Hillary safe. If there was nothing he could do with Sulu, he and Hillary were still together. They started to move, not entirely of their own accord, and Chekov sidled closer to Hillary, gripping her hand tightly in his, trying to offer some amount of comfort.


	10. Chapter 10

Hillary knew it was dangerous, but she accepted Chekov’s hand, squeezing it slightly in reassurance. This Nure guy already knew from back on the ship that the two of them were close anyway. She felt so out of her depth here, but she was a security officer, she’d had training for this sort of thing. Maybe not this type of situation exactly, but she had _some_ training at least.

She moved forward at the guards urging, not letting go of Chekov’s hand.

Nure kept an eye on the two of them as he walked. They’d spent too much time planning this for him to grow careless now, regardless of the guards escorting them. Starfleet officers had a panache for being resourceful, and he had no intention of giving them the opportunity.

“We spent years planning this coup.” He mused aloud. Nure had always loved hearing his own voice, and he saw no harm in explaining the history of this new world to these two. “Years of painstaking care and diligence. And then the Federation came in, and we had mere months to rework our plans.” He huffed, opening a door to a room and leading the group through. “I suppose I should be thankful that your captain was unable to proceed on this mission as he’d planned. It would have made things far more complicated.”

“The Federation won’t stand for this.” Hillary told him, sticking close by Chekov. Not for protection, but to keep him safe. She was the security officer, she’d been trained for things like this. Though she hardly felt qualified right now.

“My dear, the Federation has so many rules. Do you really think they’ll concern themselves over a few low ranked officers? They’ll hardly commit genocide over it. And after I’m through, my followers will be the only ones left on this world, so that’s exactly what the Federation will be doing.”

He led them through one last door, into what looked rather like a lab of sorts. “Your Federation, pompous as it is, does have the benefit of being more advanced in weaponry than any on this world. So, since the current Lord President has been so gracious to conscript us into that organization, I shall make use of it.” He tapped on one of the screens, pulling up a diagram. “Anyone with the engineering knowledge to work on that hydro converter should easily be able to handle building this.”

Nure stood to the side, revealing the plans for what looked to be a hybrid bomb of some sort. “We know where all of the opposition camps are. We will wipe them from the face of this planet, and the new Argonian order will begin.” He turned his gaze on Chekov, smiling coldly.

“Do this for us. And all of you get to go home.”

Chekov had a hard time understanding. Whether it was from the blood rushing in his ears, or if Nure simply wasn't speaking loud enough, he couldn't tell. At one point, he very clearly heard their captor say something about the Federation not caring about lowly officers. Chekov was shook by how true that statement was. Kirk and the Enterprise crew he knew would care, but ultimately their rescue would be up to Starfleet and they wouldn't want to risk a bunch of men for three people.

He knew they would sooner blow up the planet than rescue them. It was a disheartening thought, but Chekov believed it true. As soon as they were led into a lab-like room, his heart sank. His suspicions were true as Nure spoke, locking his icy glare on him. He bit his tongue hard. What he was being asked to do was to choose between a million lives or three. It was a pretty easy decision, but the fact that two of those three were his love and his best friend. He couldn't care less about his own life, as long as those two got away safely and he could somehow blow this building up.

His mind spun and he started to feel dizzy. So much pressure. He let go of Hillary's hand and shifted closer to the screens, squinting as he took it all in. The plans would take more than a day to complete. It was a very intricate and well thought out design, but his stomach churned just looking at it. Chekov looked away, taking a few deep breaths to ground himself. He wondered if he could create a big enough distraction so that Hillary could use the device Kirk gave them to beam back to the ship. Then maybe they could send a small search party down to find Sulu.

He also considered downright refusing them. But that was out of the question as well. If he said no, they would all die regardless and the Angorians would simple capture another engineer, one who might not be as thoughtful. Chekov felt his stomach reel again and leaned casually against the wall, raising his gaze to Nure. "If you already hawe a hydro conwerter." He said, choosing his words carefully. "Zhen vhy do you need us? Vhy can you not build zhis yourself?"

Nure’s smile faded, turning to a displeased grimace. He’d worked too hard and too long to get to this point just to be questioned by this _child_. Genius or not, it seemed like he would need to get his point across a little more clearly.

“Us?” He scoffed, sneering at Chekov. “I think you misunderstand. I don’t need all of you. Just you.” Nure lifted the phaser, uncaring and unhesitatingly shooting Hillary. He watched her eyes go wide in shock briefly before she collapsed on the ground, unmoving. Nure looked back at Chekov.

“I trust I’ve made my point.”

Before he had time to contemplate what Nure meant, a phaser was raised and shot. There was no noise. No noise except for someone--something--falling behind him. He almost didn't dare to look, but he knew he had to. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. He saw Hillary's body, but it almost wasn't real. It felt like a horrible dream and any second now he would wake up and go to the cafeteria to tell her all about it, and tell her how happy and relieved he was that she was still alive.

But he couldn't. Deep down he knew she was dead. He couldn't even watch her fall to the ground. She was already there. So many emotions flooded through him, yet he felt nothing. His eyes were glued on her, glazed and distant. Why did it have to be her? She was so young. Had so much to give. Such a precious soul. Chekov could vaguely feel himself falling onto his knees, but he didn't care. There were tears, but he didn't feel them. There were many things he regretted, but the only thing that mattered, the only thing he regretted the most.

He didn't tell her he loved her.


	11. Chapter 11

Nure let the Russian sit for a moment, let the consequences sink in, then strode over to grab his arm, dragging him to his feet and shoving him towards the equipment on the table. “I might have spared your pretty little friend a long painful death, but I assure you, I won’t be so merciful twice.”

Chekov was brought back by the firm grip on his arm. He let out a small yelp and fell against the table, laying against it for a few seconds before straightening up. He ran his hands through his hair, staring at the plans. "Eet vill take more zhan a day to complete." He stated, voice thick and an accent to double.

Hillary was gone, but Sulu was still alive. He had already failed once, though, so why should he continue. He sniffed loudly and wanted nothing more than to just curl up and die, joining Hillary in paradise, but he couldn't let worlds of other people die just because he gave up. He had to at least try.

"I vill also need more tools zhan zhis," he continued, gesturing to the table. He took a deep breath, leaning his elbows on the table and burying his face into his hands. His mind kept drifting, he couldn't concentrate.

“We’ll procure the tools you need.” Nure growled, watching Chekov simply lounging against the table. “I wouldn’t loiter too long.” He advised with a slight scoff, moving over to another screen and tapping a few buttons to pull up a video feed. A dimly lit room appeared on the screen, Sulu lay bound in the center. It wasn’t exactly the best quality video, though it was apparent Sulu was a little worse for wear, but largely uninjured.

“As a little extra incentive, every time you stop working without permission… well.” Nure reached over, pressing and holding a button. His expression was just as uncaring as before, eyes on Chekov as a muffled scream came over the video.

Chekov lifted his head somewhat as Nure moved, fully untrusting of the man. He flinched as the screen popped on, having expected something else. It took a few seconds to register what was being shown, but when he realized it was Sulu, his entire face flushed and he tensed. He could've sworn his heart stopped for a few beats, and he wanted nothing more than to close his ears to the sound. "Stop eet!" he cried, looking over at Nure with a mixture of desperation and anger. "I'll do eet! I'll vork. Just leawe him alone." His gaze lingered on the traitor for a moment, before he bent over the blueprints. He moved around the room gathering supplies and preparing to make the bomb. He hadn't been able to save Hillary, but maybe he could save Hikaru.

Nure stepped away from the screen as Chekov moved to get started, Sulu falling silent again. “Make a list of what tools you need, and get to work.” He turned to leave, pausing by the door and turning to one of the guards. “And get that out of here before it starts to smell.” He ordered with a short wave at Hillary.

With that, he left Chekov to work, watched over by the remaining guards. He had business to attend to, first of which would be dealing with the Enterprise. The federation would no doubt soon realize they could not contact their team here on the surface. Nure would need to divert their attentions until the Russian could complete his work.

He knew Pavel was correct, it would take more than a day for even the Federation officer to do what he’d been asked. It would take a few hours for them to obtain whatever tools Chekov required, and he would assign one of their own engineers to review Chekov’s work, even if they might not understand all of it. But the engineer would know enough to be able to tell whether Chekov was attempting to deceive them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this was such a very VERY short chapter. But, oh well.  
> It just happens that way. I liked the way the previous chapter ended, so I put this here as a new chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the bridge of the Enterprise, thing's are not going so well...

“Sir, I'm having trouble contacting the Andorians."

"Well try again!" Scotty ran a hand through his hair and sunk back in the captain's seat.

Everything had been running smoothly until the away team failed to check in at the designated time. At this point, they were two hours overdue for checkin and the Enterprise was in near total chaos. With Kirk, Spock, and McCoy at the trial, the role of stand-in captain fell on the chief engineer. He wondered how Kirk did it, being in charge of a whole starship and it's people. If anything, this experience gave him a new respect for Captain Kirk.

"Sir, shouldn't we contact Starfleet?" Scotty glanced up at the pilot, blinking. He shook his head. "Nae yet," he replied, straightening up. "Nae until we know what exactly is going on down there."

The pilot gave him a light disapproving look, but turned back silently. Scotty let out a sigh. He knew Starfleet should really be notified, but if it was something simple like a broken transporter on their side, it wouldn't be needed to tell the fleet. Then again, if it was something like that, wouldn't the Andorian's have contacted them?

"I have contact." Scotty glanced over at the communications officer with a nod. "On screen," he said, trying to gather a confident air despite the fatigue he was currently feeling. The screen wavered for a moment before it pictured a humanoid alien. It had similarities to Nure, but looked almost entirely different.

"Greetings," he said politely, but Scotty could easily see the disdain in his eyes. "I am Aolye. What can I do for you, captain?"

Scotty found it odd that there was no title following the name. Multiple red flags were raising already, but he was careful not to make any assumptions.

"I want to know what happened to our away team," he replied bluntly.

There was no time for pleasantries. He was almost certain a flicker of fear passed through Aolye's expression, but as soon as it had come, it had gone. "Could you please elaborate?"

"Our people from the Enterprise. We have nae heard from them for nearly three hours now!" The Scot paused, taking a moment to keep his impatience under control. "Do you have any idea as to where they are located?"

The man on the other end hesitated. "They are helping with some repairs."

Scotty resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. "That was not part of the agreement." He said, before waving his hand as if to brush it off. "Can I speak to them?"

Aolye blinked at him, before turning to the side and speaking to someone unseen. He turned back a few seconds later. "I am sorry, but they are too busy to talk now." Scotty jumped up. He had had enough of this. There was obviously something this guy was keeping from him. "They are not too busy, let me--" Before he could finish his sentence, the screen went dark, replaced with stars.

Scotty let out a frustrated growl and looked over at the communications officer as she scrambled to bring the feed back. She returned Scotty's glance a moment later. "They blocked us, sir."

Scotty fell back into the chair, mumbling a few choice words. Something was definitely going on. It felt like Reagis III all over again. A cold chill washed over him at that thought. He wondered how they were all fairing, Sulu especially. Poor lad had been nearly dead when they found him. What would happen if he had to relive that nightmare? He was interrupted by his thoughts as the com flashed and a panicked voice came over the line. "Mister Scott we have a problem down here!"

"Alright, calm down lad, what seems to be the problem?"

"A pressure valve blew and we can't stabilize it!"

"I'll be right down." Scotty hopped up and rushed over to the turbolift. He scowled as he made his way down. There were plenty of good engineer and none of them could fix the damn thing? Seemed surprising to him, but he supposed with all the newly added stress everyone wasn't functioning normally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What?? Another short chapter??? Outrageous!


	13. Chapter 13

Jim held back a groan, shaking his head slightly with a thin frown. What a waste of time. McCoy said as much before he patted Kirk on the shoulder. The hearing had gone much as the trio had predicted, though Pruitt had insisted on dragging it on for hours. Kirk ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. He’d been cleared of all charges but he’d wasted near the entire day in this courtroom.

“C’mon, let’s get back to the Enterprise.” He commented, picking up the data PADD’s they’d brought as evidence, and walking out of the conference room. He and McCoy chatted somewhat on the way to the Victoria’s transporter room, though it was more Kirk’s remarks on the idiocy of that trial rather than any real conversation. Eventually it dissolved into a snark fest between Spock and McCoy, Jim chiming in to keep the whole thing going, that ended rather abruptly as they reached the transporter room.

They beamed over to the Enterprise, Kirk frowning slightly at the expression on the transport operators face. “Doctor McCoy, there’s been an incident involving a malfunctioning pressure valve and you’re needed in sickbay urgently. Captain, they need you on the bridge.”

McCoy let out a colorful little phrase before hurrying off, Kirk and Spock exchanging a look before making their way quickly to the bridge.

“Scotty, what’s going on?” Kirk asked, arriving on the bridge. The atmosphere was tense as he made his way to the engineer.

Scotty's face lit up as Kirk and Spock suddenly appeared from the turbolift.

"Everything and then some, captain," he replied, stepping swiftly out of the way as an officer hurried past. "The whole ship has been up in a rile! The away team has missed all of their check-in cues, and I'm pretty sure the Ambassador is keeping something from us." he spoke quickly, wanting to fill them in ln everything as fast as possible so the problem could be resolved quicker.

Kirk listened closely, nodding as Scotty filled him in on the events of the past twelve hours. He turned to the communications officer. “Get a comm link open to the ambassador.” He sat down in the captain’s chair, leaning slightly to the side as he waited. “Spock, Scotty, see what you can do with the sensors to try and get through the atmosphere, locate our people.”

He straightened as the comm officer indicated the line was open. “This is Captain James Kirk of the USS Enterprise. In accordance with the Federation treaty I demand to speak to Ambassador Nure immediately regarding the team of officers on the planet.”

There was a long pause, before a surly voice gave an affirmative, and a few minutes later Nure appeared on screen. Kirk’s brow furrowed at the difference in the man’s appearance. “Captain Kirk. Your officer’s were kind enough to assist us in repairing some of our equipment. Unfortunately, they are too busy at the moment. They will be returned to you shortly, I’m sure.”

“Ambassador, this is far outside of the agreement made between the Angorian delegation and the Federation. Such a breach of the treaty might be considered aggressive action against the federation. I must insist on speaking with my officers now.”

“Come now, Captain. This has nothing to do with the Federation. Simply… a political matter, to be resolved among ourselves. We invite the Federation to stay out of it.” Nure growled, pretense of politeness slipping somewhat. “The Federation has interfered with our culture enough. I am simply evening the field.” With that, the screen shut off.

Kirk sighed, standing up and pacing a few steps, thinking quickly. “Scotty, those devices we sent with the away team, have any of them been activated?” He asked, though he could guess the answer. If Scotty’d received a signal, he’d likely have transported them up and they wouldn’t have this problem.

Scotty nodded, moving over to one of the stations and shooing the officer away. He took her place, fingers flying across the buttons. He paused and glanced back at the ambassador, listening to their discussion. Nure had changed. Scotty couldn't put his finger on what was different, he just didn't seem like the kind older man who had been on their starship hours ago.

He turned back to his work, only shaking his head as Kirk addressed him. He was silent for a long time, before he frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. "Captain, come take a look at this." He called, flagging him over. He pointed to the two faint dots on the screen. "Two of our lifeforms. Our systems seem to be jammed or something and I can't get it any more exact than that."

It worried him that they weren't in the same place the negotiation was supposed to take place in, but at least they were both in the same building supposedly. Scotty grew somber, however, and looked up at Kirk with sad eyes. "But... There are only two. I scanned the whole planet. Perhaps they have one somewhere where our scanners can't reach, but it's highly unlikely…"

“I am not reading any building or structure that could be capable of hiding from our sensors.” Spock added, stepping away from his station as Kirk looked over the readout Scotty had indicated.

Kirk frowned, teeth clenching together. Damn it. He pushed the feeling aside for now, there would be time to mourn later when the other two were safe. He couldn’t stop to think, wonder which of the three he’d lost. “Keep working on it Scotty. I don’t think Ambassador Nure is going to be very cooperative.” He looked up at Spock. “Send a message to Starfleet, inform them of our situation. I’m starting to doubt Nure is who he claims.”

Spock nodded and Kirk moved over to the communications officer. “Keep trying to make contact, I don’t know what they’re after, but if we can keep him talking maybe we can find out.” And hopefully keep the remaining two officers safe. He reached over to activate the comm. “Shuttle bay, this is Kirk. I need you to prepare a shuttle for departure, you have one hour.”

“Captain.” Spock was back, having completed his communication to Starfleet. “Starfleet has been updated on our current situation. The Victoria is a purely science vessel, but has received orders to remain in orbit to offer assistance as needed.”

“Meaning they’ll be here, but not much use. Got it.” Kirk sighed. He glanced around the bridge, frowning slightly. They were running short on senior officers. “Scotty, any luck pinpointing their location?”

Scotty scratched his head, slipping off of the chair and opening the panel below the station. "Not yet!" He exclaimed, before sticking his head and arms in the space. He adjusted a few wires and popped back out, playing around with the scanners. He frowned and ducked under again, coming up with confidence as he slid into his chair.

"Aye, now I have it." He said, eyes flickering across the screen. He pointed to the small building in the middle. "That is where they are. If we land the shuttle over here, out of town..." He typed in some coordinates and waited for the screen to switch before continuing. "We can sneak around here and get in. If a stealth mission is what you had in mind." He glanced up at Kirk with a smug smile.

Kirk grinned, clapping Scotty on the shoulder. “Perfect. You’re with me. Spock, you have the bridge, keep the Ambassador talking, if you can get the comm link back open with him. See what you can figure out, relay any relevant information. Have a security officer meet us in the shuttle bay.”

He turned and headed to the turbo lift. Kirk had decided on bringing just one security officer with them. It might be wiser to take more, but the treaty with the Argonian’s was still in effect as of now, and he knew the Federation wouldn’t want him being the one to break it. Besides, they’d need the seats for the two they were going to rescue and a smaller landing party would be less likely to be discovered when they made their way through the city.

“Scotty, if they move them, would you be able to rig a tricorder to track those devices they’ve got?” He glanced over at him, trying to think of everything that might happen during this little rescue mission.

Scotty followed close beside Kirk as he contemplated the request. "Aye, I think I could do that." He replied after a moment. "Considering they still have them. I'm not chief engineer for nothing!" He made a mental note to grab an extra tricorder before they left. He could work on it as they went down. It probably won't be the best thing he's ever made, but it would do the trick and that was all that mattered.

As they walked into the shuttle bay, he couldn't help but crave a drink of some sort. Something to keep his nerves down. He wasn't about to admit it, but he was nervous for this mission. Scared at what they were going to find. Scotty easily picked out the security officer who was accompanying them. It was a big guy who stood silently, hands clasped behind him. He gave a little nod to the senior officers as they boarded, before climbing in himself.

Kirk nodded to the security officer, finding his seat on the shuttle and finishing the preparations for departure. “Alright gentlemen, the plan is get in, get our people, and get out. Whatever is going on down on the planet, the Angorian’s don’t want Federation involvement.” He moved the shuttle out of the bay once he’d received clearance, entering the coordinates and heading toward the planet.

He kept an outward calm, projecting a confidence he both did and did not feel. He was worried, but determined. He did not like going into this situation with so little information, but he was not willing to leave his crew down there any longer. It had been too long as it was. All that time he’d been sitting in that makeshift courtroom, who knew what they’d been going through. Who’d lost their life?

He let out a short tense breath, refocusing on the controls. With any luck, Spock would be successful in gaining some understanding of what had happened, and what was going on. If it was bad enough, the Vulcan was sure to relay the situation to HQ, and perhaps they would be able to use the power of the Enterprise and the threat of Federation action to make Nure cooperate and return the crew.

He just hoped the two of them survived that long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated!


	14. Chapter 14

It had been such a long time. Chekov wasn't sure how many hours it had been, or days for that matter. All he knew was that he hated it. It still pained him deeply that Nure had referred to Hillary as an "it". She was so much more than an it. But it was over now and she was gone.

The device Kirk had given them all before they left grew heavier and heavier in his pocket. Even as he worked his fingers itched to reach for it and leave this place back in the safe confines of the Enterprise. But he couldn't. He couldn't and /wouldn't/ leave Sulu behind. The guard would probably shoot him before he got out anyway, but the main factor was that he couldn't leave his best friend. Even so, there was really only one way to ensure they would get out safely. Chekov had given up on rescue awhile ago, so that left making the bomb.

He wasn't about to blow up an entire country, however, and decided to try and wire it somehow so that it could blow up randomly and only blow up this building, city at most. It was a long stretch, but it didn't seem like they were checking his work so he wasn't too worried about it. It was tedious work. It felt like he had barely done anything, and he would've believed it himself if it weren't for the mess of colored wires in front of him attached to the small box.

In the span of this small advancement, he had also learned that crying was a bad idea. They seemed to hurt Sulu the most when they caught his tears or heard the silent sobbing. The Asian's screams and the thought of his pain was enough to shut him up, even though the urge to cry was stronger. Occasionally he'd find some unwanted tears streaming down his face, but he made sure to wipe them away as quickly as possible, before anyone could see. Chekov flicked his stiff wrist out to the side, stifling a groan as it refused to move at first. He grabbed a tool and brought his arm back, resigning himself to the fact that there was no comfortable way he could do this.

Nure entered the room, one of his scientist at his side as well as another guard. “Well well, you have made _some_ progress at least.” He scoffed, looking over the work Chekov had done so far. He cast a glance at the guard that was standing near the screen with Sulu on it before moving toward Chekov. “How close are you to finishing this one?”

Chekov unconsciously shifted away from Nure. He took the opportunity of him speaking to stretch, discreetly straightening up. "Uh, I should hawe eet done in an hour or less." He replied, hoping that he would actually get it done in that amount of time. Rewiring it to his liking would take a bit more time than it normally would have, but he was nearly done that so he was fairly confident in his estimation.

“Good. I’m glad my little incentive worked.” Nure sneered, waving a guard over. “Take our guest here for some rest.” Much as he’d like to make the Starfleet officer continue working, it would do them little good if he made a mistake and killed them all. Besides, it would only waste time if he let the Russian finish all of the bombs, only to discover some problem after and not have enough time to correct it. Having him out of the way while his own people checked would make the process go smoother.

A wave of panic washed over Chekov as the guard moved closer. He fought to keep himself calm, shaking as he was led away. Would they examine the bomb? Probably, but were they smart enough to see that he had tampered with it? He prayed it wasn't so. The last thing they needed was for him to be found out and both of them executed.

The next problem Pavel faced was where exactly they were taking him. He considered trying to take down the guard that held him but common sense kicked in and told him he was no match. Besides the extremely unfair height advantage, Chekov didn't have the energy to fight anyone. Maybe if they gave him some food he could try it, but he wasn't so sure.

~~

Sulu was in Hell. This was absolute hell.

There was no reason to it. Much as he screamed, yelled, pleaded; there was no answer. No one said anything to him, not a word of what they wanted, why they were doing this. They hadn’t even questioned him before binding his arms and tossing him in here.

It was maddening. It was worse than it had been on Reagis III in a way, even if he hadn’t quite given up hoping just yet. It was just, at least there, he’d known why. He’d been able to see it coming, know what to do to avoid the pain. But this… This was so random. There was no rhyme or reason to it.

He was exhausted, had no idea how long he’d been here, and though he was tired he was afraid to fall asleep. He had no desire to wake up in pain from however they’d rigged electricity up in this room. The floor was hard stone, it should have been impossible. Not to mention his arms ached from being tied, his whole body too tired to move from where was laying on the floor. Not that he had much choice in resting place. The entire room was completely bare but for the one door.

Sulu jumped slightly as the door opened, shifting back some though he was too tired to get very far. Surprisingly, a moment later and they were throwing Chekov in with him. Sulu blinked, tension not relaxing in the slightest, even as the door closed.

Chekov stumbled as they shoved him in, toppling to the floor. He lay on the cold stone for a few moments as his eyes adjusted, but he soon stood back up, one hand on the wall to steady himself. It didn't take long to notice he wasn't alone and he was nearly overflowing with joy as he saw it was Sulu and that he was still alive, but for some reason he couldn't move. His feet refused to move forward and he was stuck staring at Hikaru with a blank expression. The pilot was so pale...

He knew the reason why, but he wasn't about to let those thoughts in. Not now. Not in this place. After what seemed like a year, Chekov finally found the will to move forward. He did so slowly, finally crumpling down next to Sulu once he reached the man. He undid the binds with fumbling fingers, throwing the rope to the other end of the room. Chekov leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. Who knew how long they had, he had to tell Sulu everything right now. But he didn't have the heart to tell him anything.

Hikaru was not at all reassured as Chekov stared blankly at him. It had been hours since he’d last seen Chekov, and while the kid didn’t look alright by any means, he wasn’t injured. Sulu wasn’t sure what to think of that, nerves rising the longer Chekov stood motionless.

He said nothing as Chekov stumbled over and untied him, though he hissed slightly at the pain of moving his arms after being bound for so long. He nodded thanks silently, shifting back to lean against a wall as well. It wasn’t comfortable by any means, but it was better than the position he’d been in before.

“Chekov…?” He asked, voice hoarse, unsure what question to start with. Pavel looked… distraught. He took a short breath, glancing at the door briefly before returning his gaze to Chekov.

Chekov's heart just about broke, if that was even possible now, as Sulu spoke. Or rather, whispered. His voice was so scratchy and dry... Chekov wanted to curl up next to him, but he didn't want to cause him anymore pain or discomfort than what he had already inflicted. He turned his head hesitatingly towards him, scared that Sulu would somehow see the real fear he was trying so hard to hide.

"Hey Karu." He said quietly, forcing a smile. He felt no happiness whatsoever from it, but maybe it would make Hikaru feel better.

Sulu tried a smile as well, though at this point he was far too worried to be able to pull it off successfully. Chekov was acting so wrong, even given the situation they were in. And Hillary… Sulu looked away, putting it together. They hadn’t brought Hillary here. Either they were keeping her for some other reason or…

Sulu swallowed dryly, shifting his focus onto Chekov. “Hey Pav.” He tried to sound at least a little at ease, tried to make Chekov feel better. All he really wanted was answers. What was going on, what did they want, where was Hillary, was Chekov hurt at all. The list of questions went on, but Sulu couldn’t bring himself to actually ask them. Not when Chekov looked like this.

Chekov looked Sulu up and down a couple of times, searching for any bruises. It was hard to tell if there was blood in the dim lighting, but he knew there had to be bruises or something where he couldn't see. He took another breath, forcing himself to look at Sulu's face and keep his gaze there. Don't look anywhere else. He's okay. You're okay. It's all going to be okay...

"...Does eet hurt badly?" He asked softly, not daring to raise his voice above a whisper. He knew they were watching them and could hear everything. They didn't need any satisfaction. The familiar lump in his throat started to rise up again and he forced it down before any tears could fall. He couldn't hurt Sulu again. He was hurt enough. Nothing more could happen to him.

“No.” Sulu lied, looking down at the ground in front of him. No need to burden Chekov with the steady ache he was feeling. He wondered if that random pain wasn’t quite so random, if they were using him to make Chekov do something. It was a frustrating thought. “Are you hurt?”

Chekov wanted to believe Sulu, but he could tell that his answer wasn't entirely true. He bit his tongue, before shaking his head. "No."

He wasn’t hurt. Not physically.

"She's dead." Chekov blurted out. He surprised himself, blinking in shock for a few moments. He was equally shocked and scared that the statement didn't affect him. He had expected something. Pain was the main factor, but there was nothing. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked away from Sulu. Why didn't it hurt?

Sulu closed his eyes. Dead. He’d known, just hadn’t wanted to actually think it. Hillary. She’d been a nice person, Chekov had really liked her and Sulu’d though he might have become friends with her too.

“I’m sorry…” He didn’t look over at Chekov, didn’t have the words right now to try and comfort him.

Chekov shrugged. "Do not apologize," he replied, absently scratching at the floor. "Eet is not your fault. Eet is mine. If I had only done vhat zhey vanted me to vizhout questioning..." He blinked, frowning. Hillary would've been alive. Sulu might not be hurting. They wouldn't have been in this mess if he didn't question anything. "Eet is my fault she's gone." He pulled his knees up and pushed his face into his hands, shaking his head. "And now you are getting hurt because of me."

Sulu looked over worriedly at Chekov. So, they _were_ using him against the Russian. It almost didn’t matter what they wanted, not in this exact moment. “Chekov, it’s not—“ Sulu cut off as the door opened, tensing as two guards came in.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This originally started out as a thing that was supposed to be just Sulu and Chekov becoming friends...
> 
> Somehow we've ended up here....

Chekov barely heard what Sulu said as the door was opened and the guards came in.

_Nonononono._

“Get up.” One of the guards snapped at them both, gaze flickering to the rope that lay on the floor. “Tie your friend’s arms back, and the both of you are to come with me.”

He wiped his face dry as quickly as he could, looking up at the two. His eyes glanced over at the rope, then Sulu, before they finally landed and stayed on the speaking guard. He stood up and situated himself in front of Sulu. "No. If I do not hawe to be tied, vhy does he?"

Sulu struggled to his feet slowly, using the wall behind him as a brace, already resigned to Chekov re-tying him. He froze, eyes wide in concern and fear at Chekov’s words. No no no, that was not good, Sulu thought as he watched the guards face twist into an expression of cruel amusement. It was a look he recognized.

Sulu took a stiff, halting step forward, muscles still sore and painful. His heart skipped as the guard moved forward too, grabbing Chekov by the collar. Much to Sulu’s surprise, however, the guard merely threw Chekov behind him, the other man catching and taking hold of the Russian, holding him still as the other guard advanced up on Sulu.

Sulu stopped, mind going blank for a moment, not expecting this. The guard never paused, grabbing Sulu by the throat and slamming him roughly against the wall, holding him there and punching him in the stomach and ribs, not stopping until the pilot was coughing blood.

The guard let Sulu fall to his knees, the pilot’s arms wrapped around his sides. Sulu was breathing shallowly, with no little amount of difficulty. The guard looked over at Chekov, one hand twisted in the fabric of Sulu’s shirt as he pulled, cutting Hikaru’s air supply off. “Would you like to tie him now?”

The instant the guard moved forward with that look, Chekov knew he had done something terribly wrong. He tried to take back what he said, but it was too late and before he really knew what was happening, he was thrown heavily to the side. Strong hands grabbed him, one holding his arms behind him, the other holding his head to force his eyes upon the scene. The sounds and sights that followed were going to haunt him forever.

"Please! Stop!" he cried, a multitude of tears streaming down his face. He didn't even care anymore he just had to make them stop. "Stop! No, don't do zhat!" He thrashed and struggled against the guards hold to no avail.

Why were they taking it out on Sulu? Why couldn't they do that to him? It was _he_ who tried to defy them. Sulu didn't have to get hurt. He wasn't doing anything. Why were they hurting him so much... When the moment was over, he was so scared that Sulu had stopped breathing.

"Okay! Okay I'll do eet!" He sobbed. The guard threw him to the ground and Chekov hurried over to Sulu, cradling his head. "I'm so sorry, so sorry..." He mumbled over and over, barely noticing he had reverted back to Russian.

He blindly grabbed the rope and tied it around Sulu's wrists, tight enough so that the guards would be pleased, but hopefully light enough that it wouldn't hurt Sulu too much. "So sorry, Sulu, so sorry..."

Sulu didn’t say anything, too busy trying to breath and only vaguely aware of his wrists being tied. Chekov was speaking, but Sulu couldn’t gather the energy to speak to him, not that he’d know what to say anyway. The dull ache was gone, replaced by a white hot agony with every breath he took. He let out a choked off noise of pain as the guard reached down, dragging him to his feet.

“Move. Now.” The guard snapped, glowering threateningly as he shoved Sulu toward the door. Hikaru stumbled, nearly falling into Chekov.

Chekov scrambled to his feet as the guard grabbed Sulu. He caught the pilot as he stumbled, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders protectively. He walked as the guard told them, letting his sadness and fear dry on his face. Who cared if they saw him crying? They couldn't do anything worse. Not without killing him. But look at what they did with Hillary. So quick. Without a second thought. Chekov bit his tongue hard, arm tightening somewhat around Sulu. If they did that to Hikaru, then they would simply have to do it to him.

Nure was waiting for them in the lab. He stood as they walked in, running his eyes over Sulu briefly before turning to Chekov. “You really never learn, do you.” He scoffed, shaking his head slightly. “I ask one little thing of you, and you insist on defying me at every turn.”

Sulu glanced between them, wary of what was going on. His head was still a little fuzzy, the pain in his ribs didn’t help that, but he knew something was going on. Whatever was going to happen next was not going to be good.

Chekov paled as he saw Nure waiting for them. They found out. His eyes flickered to his work for a split second, then back to Nure, eyes widening. He stayed silent, curling even more around Sulu slightly as he shifted from foot to foot. His heart beat faster and he knew immediately that whatever was about to happen, was going to be taken out on Sulu. Again. He promised he wouldn't hurt Hikaru again and here he was, breaking that promise.

Nure looked over at one of the guards, nodding at him, and the man stepped forward, dragging Sulu out of Chekov’s hold. Hikaru cursed, wincing and stumbling to keep on his feet as he was pulled to the side. One of the guards pushed him against a wall, the other producing a blade.

“Mister Chekov.” Nure smirked at him. “Your little female friend got a quick death. I promised you that would not happen twice. I would suggest you fix what you have done. Before your friend bleeds to death.” One of the guards cut a line down Sulu’s arm slowly, letting the slight amount of blood drip for a minute before repeating the action.

Chekov couldn't believe what was happening. His eyes told him it was, but his brain refused. It had to be a dream. A terrible, awful dream. He didn't know how someone could be so cruel and simply not care. It was something totally beyond Chekov.

After hesitating for several seconds, he stumbled over to the table, half in a daze. He picked up a tool and began undoing what he had started, hands shaking violently. At first there was the silence. The eerie silence filled only with Sulu's labored breathing.

Hikaru tried to hold on as long as he could, he knew Chekov had no choice and he didn’t want to make it worse for the kid. He remembered quite clearly what it was like being in Pav’s position. But as the minutes turned into hours and the drops of blood formed a pool under his feet, he found it harder and harder to remain quiet. Eventually, the feeling of the knife across his already broken ribs was more than he could handle.

And then came the screams.

Pavel had thought the quiet bad, but this was so much worse. The work was going too slow and by the time he was done, Sulu would be dead. He had to do something - fast.

Mind whirring with adrenaline, he grabbed the heaviest tool he could find and, without a second though, hurled it at the monster cutting Sulu. He only had time enough to hope he didn't miss, before he turned on Nure, clawing at his phaser.

Nure’s eyes went wide with shock, rage following soon after, as Chekov threw the tool at the guards. The man went down, blade skittering across the floor. The other guard stared in shock, still pinning Sulu to the wall. Sulu was silent now, with a sort of glazed look in his eyes as he breathed raggedly, blood on his lips. The remaining guard in the room surged forward as Chekov went after Nure.

Nure fell back slightly, scrabbling with Chekov briefly. He was shocked that the child would have the audacity to attack him. What could he possibly hope to accomplish. He too surprised to really figure out just what the Russian was after until it was too late.

It all happened in a blur and as soon as Chekov felt the cold metal of the phaser, he grabbed it and jumped back against the wall, pointing it at Nure.

"Stop!" he yelled, eyes glancing across everyone. They hesitated most on Sulu, who now looked incredibly unresponsive, but his eyes ultimately landed on Nure. "I'm done! No more." He grumbled, eyes narrowing. "Let him go."


	16. Chapter 16

Nure straightened, giving Chekov a furious look. Trust a Federation officer to put such a dent in his plans. He’d known that from the start, how could he have let himself slip like this!? It was intolerable. He needed to regain control.

“What do you hope to accomplish by this?!” Nure snapped. He crossed his arms, giving Chekov a derisive look, moving forward slightly. He needed to keep the Russian’s attention. Nure kept his eyes on Chekov, giving no indication of the guard’s movement over beside Sulu as he aggressively continued talking.

“Do you think I am the only one? The only leader of my organization with dreams and ambitions of the new Argonian Empire?? I assure you, I am not. Kill me, and another will be here within the hour to continue my work. And rest assured, they will /not/ be as forgiving of so many delays.”

There was a sharp cracking pop followed by the hoarse sound of Sulu’s scream. Nure turned his gaze to the guard. The man was balanced with one knee on Sulu’s back, the pilot layed flat and struggling to breath under the weight and pain. Hikaru’s hands were free now, one wrist held in the guard’s grip, arm twisted painfully behind him.

“Drop the phaser, get back to work, and perhaps I’ll treat the injury. Or kill us all, and attempt an escape with your friends shoulder out of place. Good luck getting past the rest of the guards when he can hardly walk.” Nure spoke confidently, meeting Chekov’s gaze resolutely.

Chekov eyed Nure warily, shifting away as he moved closer. He was silent as he spoke, taking everything in. Nure had a point: kill him and he'd just have to deal with more trouble. Then again, who would learn about it in this small room? Chekov levelled the phaser directly on him, but before he was able to shoot, a horrific sound came from Sulu.

His head whipped to the side as his heart skipped a beat. His arms dipped a bit in shock, but in a split second he rose the weapon and fired on the guard holding the pilot. Whirrling around, he shot the remaining guard, the turned to face Nure once again. "Ve just vant to leawe," he said, teeth grit. His legs were shaking, and he couldn't tell whether it was fear or anger.

Both guards fell quickly, not expecting the attack. The one on Sulu fell to the side, the pilot simply laying still for now, too weak from pain and blood loss to move much now.

Nure narrowed his eyes at Chekov, lips pressed together in a thin line in rage. He took a step back, waving an arm toward the door. “I’ll be seeing the two of you again soon.” He stated, still glaring.

Chekov returned the glare, shifting nervously from foot to foot. He desperately wanted to check on Sulu and make sure he was still alive, but he couldn't let Nure get away. He would just go out and put other people through the exact same thing. He bit his tongue and started to inch towards the fallen pilot, though he still kept his eyes and phaser trained on Nure. Once he got to Sulu, Chekov bent down and checked his pulse. Weak, but there, thank goodness. He didn't say anything, simply stared at Nure.

Nure smirked slightly, still watching Chekov. “Changed your mind? You might want to hurry. More guards will arrive soon. I won’t be giving you an opportunity like this twice.” Nure shifted slightly, feigning disinterest and moving a bit torwards the table full of tools and machinery. “Unless you’ve changed your mind? Perhaps you like seeing your comrade suffer?”

"I am not like you," Chekov spat back bitterly, before sinking on the floor and giving his attention to Sulu. He gently dug around in the pilot's pocket and took out the device Scotty had given them. "Please still be zhere..." he murmured, pressing the button to activate it. He glanced back at Nure for a moment, before getting his own and copying the action.

He waited a few seconds, before realizing they should probably be moving. Nure had another point and they couldn't stay there any longer, whether they were about to beam up or not. Taking a deep breath and slipping the phaser through his belt, he looped his arms around Sulu and pulled him up. He grunted, struggling under his weight. "Come on, Hikaru," he whispered. "I don't zhink I can carry you."

Sulu choked a little, standing _hurt_ , but he did his best to carry as much of his own weight as he could. He held his dislocated arm close to his body, looping the other over Chekov’s shoulder. His thoughts were scattered, and he felt oddly guilty for the bit blood he was undoubtedly getting on his friend.

Nure took the opportunity of Chekov’s distraction to pick up some of the smaller key components of the bomb, pocketing them and sweeping the blueprint into this hands as he headed towards a second exit out of the room. Already his thoughts were racing as to the steps he needed to take next. First would be finding some guards to get the two Federation officers back under control.

Chekov didn't even notice Nure as they made their way to the door. He was too busy making sure to not hurt Sulu. "I'm sorry," he whispered again as the pilot made a choked sound. There was no good way to do this. He kicked open the door with his foot and half dragged, half carried Sulu out. No need to bother being quiet as someone was most likely already on their way to get them again.

It was worrying that they hadn't been beamed up yet. Had the Enterprise left? Chekov hesitated and glanced around. There were no hiding places. Maybe he could go back to where Sulu was being held? They probably wouldn't check there right away. He shuddered. No, they couldn't go back there. But it seemed like their only option at the moment so with a great deal of apprehension, Chekov started to move, hoping he could fully remember the way there.

Hikaru was not fully aware of where they were going. His head was starting to spin and he leaned heavier on Chekov without even realizing it as he tried to remain upright. “Y-you.. should just… go.” He managed to speak in a mumbled tone, voice hoarse and breathless. “..’m slowin you down.”

Chekov stumbled a bit under the increasing weight. He grunted, now basically holding Sulu with sheer willpower. When he heard the Asian start to speak, he stopped, leaning against a wall and breathing heavily. "No," he panted, voice firm. "I am not leawing you! I vill newer leawe you."

Sulu blinked, trying to focus on Chekov. “Just go.” He insisted.

Chekov wouldn’t be able to carry him and Sulu knew it was only a matter of time before he collapsed. If it weren’t for the Russian he’d have been on the floor unconscious by now. And even if by some miracle Chekov _could_ move his dead weight, he’d get caught by the guards long before he made it out. “Just…” He coughed wetly, ducking his head as his ribs screamed at him. He clenched his teeth together tightly, trying to breathe through it, shaking his head at the pointlessness of this whole thing.

Up ahead, there was the sound of multiple footsteps, moving quickly in their direction.

Chekov was about to protest, but stopped when he heard the heavy footsteps. His heart just about leapt out of his chest and he sank to the ground, resting his head on Sulu's shoulder in defeat. This was it.

Someone, or both of them was going to die in the next five minutes, he was certain of it. He wanted to apologize to Sulu for dragging him into this mess, but he couldn't find the words. There /were/ no words. Nothing could make this situation better. Maybe, just maybe the guards wouldn't see them. Chekov closed his eyes tightly, wishing they could turn invisible.


	17. Chapter 17

It wasn’t much more comfortable sitting, but Hikaru gratefully leaned against Chekov on the floor, closing his eyes. Almost distantly, he was aware of the footsteps approaching, but he just sat still, unwilling to look and watch how this little escape attempt would end.

“I did tell you I would see you again.” Nure commented, tone smug as he approached slowly, guards at his side. He could see he’d won. The two were in no condition to fight him. He bent down in front of them, smirking at Chekov. “I think we can find a way to learn from this, don’t you?”

Chekov didn't dare open his eyes. He could hear Nure's cold voice and could practically feel his warm breath. His breath quickened and hitched. He tried to stay calm, but his mind was running. Shaking, he tried to curl closer to Sulu. Thoughts of what Nure was going to do spiraled in his head and he began to feel nauseous. He wanted to throw up, but he knew it would just makes things worse so he fought against the rising bile.

He heard the distinct sound of phaser fire and tensed, preparing for impact, but instead he heard a loud thud beside him. It happened once more, and Chekov opened his eyes in time to see the second guard go down. Out of the corner of his vision he saw a redshirt walk forward, Scotty and Kirk following close behind. Chekov didn't know what to think. He was stunned that they had actually come down to rescue them, but in all honesty, what was left to be rescued? The security officer circled around them, phaser locked on Nure and eyes narrowed. Scotty knelt down beside the two of them, eyes wide. "Land sakes..." the scot murmured, eyes scanning over the both of them. "Captain, we have to get them to the Enterprise as soon as possible!"

Kirk was only a step behind Scotty kneeling down next to his two officers. He let out a few colorful expletives under his breath, reaching out to check Sulu. The pilot hadn’t reacted to their arrival in the least, his eyes still closed, and Kirk held his breath for a moment until he felt the weak pulse under his fingers. He kept any other reactions at bay for now, he had to deal with the situation first.

“Scotty, see if you can pick up the first shuttle on the scanner. If it’s still here, it’ll be closer than going back to ours.” Kirk ordered, glancing quickly at the engineer. “We’ll deal with our other shuttle later.”  
Kirk’s gaze moved back over to Chekov. The Russian didn’t look too injured, a vast contrast to the state Sulu was in, though Pavel looked vaguely out of it. “Can you walk?”

Scotty nodded, standing up and moving to the side. He pulled out the tricorder, glanced at the two for a moment, then bent down to the device.

Chekov eyed Kirk dubiously. It was hard to hear what he was saying. Everything seemed fuzzy. His own voice screaming at him in his head wasn't helping either. "Valk..?" He repeated to himself, nodding somewhat. "Yes."

"I got one, captain," Scotty called taking a single step closer. He waved down a hallway. "Just past those doors there."

Kirk nodded at Chekov, giving him a small smile. “Take your time, let us handle moving Mister Sulu.” He glanced over at Scotty then, nodding at his words and standing up. He took a breath, muscles tensing in anger as he turned to regard Nure.

Nure had stepped back a few feet at the officer’s arrival, glancing irately at his two incapacitated guards. He didn’t move any further as the red shirt locked the phaser on him, but stood and watched the interaction between Kirk and the other officers.

Kirk stepped up beside the security officer, regarding Nure with a cold look. “Nure, you and your followers have committed an act of war against the federation. You have held and coerced my officers into violating the laws of your people, and you are responsible for the loss of one of my crew.” Kirk seethed, fury only rising at the disinterested expression on Nure’s face. It was if the man didn’t even care for the actions he had committed, the deaths he had caused.

“In accordance with the Federation treaty with the /legitimate/ Argonian governance, you are to be taken into custody and tried here for your crimes. The Federation has agreed to assist the councel in bringing the rogue cells under control.” Kirk informed him.

Spock had gone above and beyond in acquiring information for Kirk about the situation on Argonia. He’d managed to not only find out about the rebel cell that had infiltrated this city, but had managed to contact the official government. Spock had relayed their current predicament, and the council’s soldiers should have already taken care of the errant rebel guards in the area.

Kirk turned to Scotty, ignoring the now sour look that Nure sported. “Scotty, help Sulu and Chekov to the shuttle. The Lt. and I will deliver Nure to the authorities and will meet you there shortly.” Kirk guessed it would take more than a minute to get Sulu up and moving, plenty of time to drop off this traitor and meet them back at the shuttle.

Scotty watched the exchange with a furious expression. The so called "ambassador" didn't even care about what he had done? Sick. Shaking his head, he tried to wipe the anger off his face so as not to scare Chekov and knelt down.

"Alright, lads," he said quietly, helping the Russian to his feet first. After making sure the kid was stable, he turned his attention to Sulu. He sighed sadly and, having taken notice that he tendered one side more, hooked his arms around Sulu's good arm. "Up ye go." he stood up gently, trying to support the nearly dead weight.

After walking a couple steps, he decided it would be easier to simply scoop him up. Bracing himself and trying to make it as comfortable as possible, Scotty placed his arms under Sulu's knees and lifted him carefully. Making sure Chekov was following, he silently started off to the shuttle.

Kirk handed Nure off to the proper authorities, promising to be in contact with the council soon, and headed back to the shuttle. He contacted Spock on the way, asking him to get another team together to come down and pick up the errant shuttle, as well as inform McCoy that they were on their way back.

He’d need the medical team in the shuttle bay as soon as they arrived. The sooner Bones got to tend to Chekov and Sulu, the better. The real problem would be what came after. Kirk and the Lt. arrived at the shuttle shortly, Kirk going to get the thing moving as the others settled, his thoughts racing.

Right now, he could only feel the anger and fury at how senseless Nure killing Hillary had been. Kirk didn’t know specifics of how it happened, and he wasn’t looking forward to making either Sulu nor Chekov go through that memory. That meeting would wait until McCoy discharged them from sickbay.

The situation might be resolved, but there was still so much left to do. There would be the briefing, reports to file, he’d need to contact Hillary’s family… Damn. He couldn’t help but wonder if things would have gone any differently if he’d been able to go on the mission, instead of being stuck in that makeshift court all day.

He glanced over at Scotty as the shuttle approached the enterprise, gaze drifting over to Sulu briefly. “Bones and his team will be waiting for us in the shuttle bay.” He informed Scotty. “I’ll have to go deal with the council.” His eyes flickered back to Chekov and Sulu once more, then turned to look at Scott. “Keep an eye on those two?”

Scotty nodded solemnly, meeting Kirk's gaze. "Aye, I won't take my eyes of 'em." He had tried to make the two comfortable, but he was sure that in any position Sulu was put in it would be painful. He looked like death and Scotty assumed he wasn't too far off, either. His eyes narrowed and he could only hope they would get back to the ship fast enough.

Chekov had settled stiffly into the seat next to Sulu. Scotty couldn't see any wounds on him, but he knew something was wrong. There was a glazed look in his eye and he hadn't stopped shaking since they had entered the shuttle. Scotty sighed, tearing his gaze away from them and choosing to look out the window.

He wondered what they had gone through, but in all honesty, he didn't want to know.

As soon as the shuttle was settled in the bay, and the doors opened, there was a flurry of activity. McCoy led his medical team in, moving swiftly to look at Sulu. After a few moments examination, he gave the man a slight painkiller, not enough to completely erase it, but ease it some. Sulu’d lost enough blood he didn’t want to try giving him any more just yet. That done, another doctor brought in a gurney and not a minute later Sulu was headed off to sickbay.

McCoy paused a moment to look glance over at Chekov, then sent a nurse over to the Russian. Sulu’s condition was more pressing at the moment, and he hurried off to sickbay to deal with that.


	18. Chapter 18

When Sulu came round, he was met with the bright iridescent lights of sickbay. He knew it was sickbay because not a moment later and McCoy’s face appeared above him, grumbling something as he ran a scanner over Sulu. Hikaru frowned at that, looking around in confusion.

He hadn’t expected to wake up again.

Especially not on the Enterprise. The last thing he remembered with any clarity was struggling to walk, Chekov holding him up, then sitting in the corridor next to the kid. Everything after that was… not exactly blank, but a murky blur, snippets of words and painfilled motion.

Evidently, they’d been rescued.

“You’re not listening to a word I’m sayin, are ya?” McCoy grouched, catching Sulu’s attention.

Sulu gave a little sheepish smile. “Sorry doc.” He apologized, slowly sitting up, muscles still a bit stiff.

McCoy put the scanner down as Sulu sat up, moving to inspect the pilot’s shoulder. “You’ll be sore for a while, Mister Sulu, but your shoulder will be fine in a couple days.” McCoy assured him when the pilot winced at his prodding. “Nothing was broken or damaged, just out of place. Made the process a whole lot easier.”

Sulu nodded at that, still finding this whole thing a little surreal.

“Like I was saying before, you’ll need to hang round here for a while, but you should be free to go in a day or so.” McCoy stated, putting Sulu chart down before going to attend to his duties.

~~

Chekov wasn't exactly sure when they reached the Enterprise, but when they did everything seemed to happen at once. Nearly as soon as he stepped out of the shuttle, there was a nurse in his face asking all kinds of random questions. He tried to bat her away and check on Sulu, but she was persistent.

He vaguely remembered answering in Russian, but it was all moving so fast he was having a hard time keeping up. Next thing he knew they were walking, and somehow he ended up on a bed in sickbay. It was nice to lay down and rest his sore muscles, but he couldn't relax. The hands that examined him were a nuisance and he tried to move away, but there was no where to go. In the end he simply let the doctor do what was needed, all the while trying to convince himself that it was only a checkup and that he was in safe hands.

After awhile the doctor said something about medicine and moved away. Chekov took this time to look over at Sulu. For the first time, he realized just how bad his friend actually was. He watched McCoy do something, but when Sulu flinched he had to look away to keep from crying. Looking down probably wasn't the best thing, however, as he noticed that his shirt was stained with blood. His eyes widened in shock. He didn't feel anything that would've caused him to bleed, so he immediately took it as Sulu's. He felt so sick. It was as if the stains were reminding him that it was all his fault and he couldn't escape from that.

They would all learn that it was his fault Sulu was so hurt and Hillary was dead, and they would arrest him. Doing harm to a fellow officer was a high offence and he had committed it. Twice. It wasn't intentional, but it still happened and there was no way to change it. The room suddenly started to spin and he closed his eyes to try and keep everything still. He swallowed thickly as the panic started to rise. He was going to get thrown out of Starfleet. Sulu was going to die. Everyone was going to hate him...

Before he had time to continue his thoughts, someone tapped his shoulder. Chekov flinched, quickly opening his eyes only to see the doctor standing over him. He said something about going back to his quarters and resting. Chekov stood up automatically, nearly toppling over as his legs shook and wanted to give way. He steadied himself and slowly walked forward, eyes solely on the ground. If he looked up, if he looked at anyone, they would all know what he had done.

He left sickbay, but only got a few steps down the hallway before he stopped and leaned heavily against the wall. He didn't want to go there. He didn't want to be alone. He didn't trust himself. What if he tried to... And no one would be there to stop him. Chekov frowned and wrapped his arms around himself, trying to calm down. Even if Sulu lived he wouldn't want to be friends again. He had come out of such a similar scenario on Reagis III and was just starting to trust him.. Now Sulu would hate him and want nothing more to do with him. He felt the tears start to resurface and swiftly shoved them down. He couldn't show anyone he was weak. That would only make things worse.


	19. Chapter 19

Kirk put the meeting off as long as he could, but considering he’d lost a crewman, he couldn’t delay too long. So, as soon as he got word that Sulu was being discharged from sickbay, he scheduled a time for him and Chekov to come to the conference room for a debrief.

Kirk needed answers as to what had happened, and face to face might be easier for both of his officers to deal with what had happened. The last thing Jim wanted was them reliving it on their own, trying to write it all down in a report with no support. He sent a message to the both of them, giving them the time and place, and went about collecting what he would need for the meeting.

Sulu was relieved to get out of sickbay. He like McCoy enough, though the doctor was gruff and loved his metaphors far too much. He seemed to get a kick out of confusing Sulu with them too, which the pilot found kind of funny, kind of irritating. But he did the same, with more glee if anything, to Spock, so Sulu didn't take it personally. He got Kirk’s message with a couple hours to spare, and made his way to his quarters to shower and change before heading to the conference room.

Hikaru was well enough to be discharged from sickbay, but still had a fair amount of bruises and nearly healed cuts. His shoulder was also still extremely sore, and he tried not to move it too much. He was a little nervous about this meeting, mostly because of Chekov. He hadn’t seen the kid since…. Since before they’d gotten back to the Enterprise. He could only guess what Pav thought of him… He shook his head, nearing the conference room, hoping he still had a friend in the Russian.

Chekov's heart leaped into his throat when he got the message from Kirk. He had forgotten there was going to be a meeting. It was standard protocol, of course there would be. He sighed and rolled off his bed, not bothering to put away the padd's he had lying around him.

Research wasn't supposed to be tidy and if he was just going to continue it later why bother moving everything. He made his way to the bathroom to freshen up, frowning at the Russian who stared back at him in the mirror. To put it bluntly, he looked like crap. Inwardly cursing, he slapped some cold water on his pale face and quickly moved to put on a fresh uniform. It was the best he could do on short notice, and he hoped no questions would be raised.

He was about to leave his room, when he noticed Nure's phaser lying under his desk. Chekov blinked, recalling that he had thrown it somewhere when he came back that first day. So that was where it went. He wondered briefly if he should bring it as some sort of evidence, but decided against it. They would just be talking at this meeting, getting the facts straight. No need to bring up anymore unwanted emotions too early.

Shaking his head, Chekov tried to put on a light face and stepped out of his room. His stomach turned into a knot as he contemplated seeing Sulu again. He wasn't sure if he would be able to bear it. From what he had heard, however, the pilot was recovering well, and that was good. Chekov hoped he didn't somehow revert that process during the meeting. He slowed upon reaching the conference room, hesitating.

He felt lightheaded. It would most likely be him doing most of the talking and relaying, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for that. He supposed he didn't have a choice, though, and had to go in either now or at a later time when the memories were dimmer. Taking a deep breath, he straightened up, pushed away all the feelings, and stepped in.

Kirk and Sulu were already there which surprised him, and he suddenly felt extremely self-conscious. "Am I late?" he asked jokingly, forcing a chuckle. He sat down and quietly tapped his fingers on the table, growing silent.

Kirk gave Chekov a reassuring smile, shaking his head. “No, you’re right on time.” He waved Sulu into a seat before sitting down himself, leaning his elbows on the table and looking at the two of them. “You both know the drill for this kind of thing. I’ve put it off as long as I could, give both of you time to recover, but…” He sighed lightly, leaning back. “Considering the events, I can’t wait too long.”

He was scheduled to speak with HQ and then Hillary’s family later on in the day, and he needed to have all the facts before that happened. Pushing those thoughts away, he turned his attention on the two in front of him. “I’ve already gotten Scotty’s side of the story, as you know, he was in command of the Enterprise at the time. We’ve got the report from the Angorian’s, this will serve as both of your reports on this matter, so neither of you will need to turn in a written one, okay?”

While Kirk spoke, Chekov caught tiny sideways glances to Sulu. He looked alright. A bit stiff, perhaps, but he seemed healthy enough. Chekov relaxed a tiny bit at that. Good, the reports were true. When the captain reached the last bit, Chekov leaned back. A written report would've been easier in his mind, but Kirk must have reasons as to why a spoken meeting would be easier.

“This will be more like a joint report, rather than two separate ones. So, start from when you landed on the planet, and just fill in from there.” Kirk said, reaching over and starting the recording. “Alright, Lt. Sulu.” He looked over at Hikaru, indicating he would begin.

Sulu reported on the mission from the beginning, pausing at times with a glance at Chekov in case he wished to add a detail or anything. He stopped at the point where Nure had separated them, hesitating. “At that point, I was on my own, in a cell of some sort. I’m not certain how much time passed before Chekov was brought there as well.” Both Kirk and Sulu glanced over at Chekov for him to fill in those details.


	20. Chapter 20

Chekov nodded along as Sulu spoke, adding in little things here or there. His nervousness began to rise when they got to a certain point, and soon enough both pairs of eyes were on them. He shifted uncertainly in his seat, knowing it would basically be up to him now. He ran them through what happened, speeding up around Hillary's death, and slowing down around the bomb making.

At one point he stopped talking altogether. He knew he had to tell them this, but he was having a hard time finding the words. Before he had looked at both of them, but now his gaze drifted to a spot on the table. Now or never. "Ewerytime I messed up or-or stopped vhen zhey did not vant me to... Zhey.. Zhey did somezhing to Sulu." He paused, that familiar feeling rising. Normally he could suppress it, but for some reason this time it was difficult to keep it under control. "Zhere vas a wideo feed and.. And audio..." he shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the unforgotten screams.

“It was… electricity, somehow.” Sulu spoke up in a tense tone, worried eyes on Chekov. “The room was basically stone, so I don’t know how they did it.” He shrugged a little. Hikaru was sure that wasn’t exactly something pertinent to the report, but if it gave Chekov some time to recover, that was all that mattered. He just hoped it helped and didn’t make things worse.

Chekov could almost feel the electricity coursing through him in harmony with Sulu's pleads. He shuddered, opening his eyes again to focus on something, anything. He took a few deep breaths and when he couldn't calm down, decided that it might be best to move on. "I-I tried to somehow change zhe bomb viring so it vould simply explode zhere. I zhough zhey vould not check eet, but zhey did..." he trailed off again. "And zhat is vhen I vas vith Sulu."

“We weren’t alone for too long I don’t think.” Sulu said, taking up the story for now, trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible. “When the guards came back they weren’t exactly in the best of moods. One of them demanded Chekov tie me. When he refused, the guard attacked me.” Sulu frowned down at the table slightly. “I.. wasn’t able to fight back, not after…” He stopped and shook his head slightly.

Chekov ducked his head at that. "I'm really sorry about zhat," he murmured, risking a glance up at Sulu. "I should hawe done vhat zhey said. Maybe if I had in zhe first place you vould not be so hurt. I just... You were so hurt already..."

Sulu shook his head, giving Chekov a small smile. “Not your fault. They were probably just looking for an excuse anyway. They’d have done it either way most likely.” He turned back to Kirk, taking a steadying breath to continue. “They brought us to the lab, I was a little out of it on the way there, but Nure was waiting for us. Demanded that Chekov fix the bomb and used me as… incentive. I don’t know how long it was, after a while I just…” Sulu was a little tense at this point, looking away, unsure how exactly to describe it. He’d been conscious, just not fully aware of his surroundings beyond the knife and the blood and the pain.

As Sulu continued, Chekov placed his elbows on the table and rubbed his face. He couldn't cry... but he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to hold it in. "Nure said I had to fix vhat I had messed up..." Chekov continued shakily, though he was unable to look at either of them. "..before you- Hikaru bled to deazh."

He knew he had reached his tipping point and shifted into a different position, leaning back and curling into a small ball. "He said zhat if I didn't zhen eet meant I enjoyed vatching you die!" Before he could stop them, the tears flowed freely and he started to sob quietly. "I-I vas so scared you vere... vere actually _gone_!" This couldn't be happening. He was going to be in so much trouble. Sulu was going to get hurt again. It was going to be his punishment. This thought only pushed him further.

"Eet vas all my fault!" He yelled. His hands dropped to his sides and he wore an expression with both anger and guilt. "If I had just kept eet togezher! None of zhis vould hawe happened. Hillary vould still be here, you vould not be near deazh, but no. I had to go and... _make eweryzhing vorse_!"

Kirk’s brow furrowed in concern as he listened to Chekov, raising a hand to try and gain his attention, calm him “Hey, if we need to take a break, that’s alright.” He said, reaching to switch the recording off.

Chekov flinched violently as Kirk switched the recording off, eyes instantly snapping closed. There it was. He cried and now Sulu was paying for it. Chekov slapped his hands over his ears. He wasn't going to watch. They couldn't make him. "I'm sorry, Sulu," he sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry.."

Kirk got up, concern turned to worry, and moved over in front of Chekov. “Chekov? Hey, it’s alright, it wasn’t your fault. Pavel?” He tried to get Chekov’s attention, glancing over at Sulu for some help. He didn’t want to have to call McCoy in with a sedative, but it was an option.

After a moment’s hesitation, Sulu moved to stand beside Kirk, kneeling down beside Chekov’s chair to try and meet his gaze. “Hey, Pav? C’mon, it’s alright, it’s not your fault.” He tried, reaching out a tentative hand to touch Chekov’s arm.

Chekov was aware of his name being called, but he wasn't going to fall for it. If he opened his eyes, Sulu would be laying there all bloody and hurt. No, he wasn't going to do it. At the touch on his arm, he flinched again, but this time not as bad. He fearfully opened one eye, and then the other. As fast as possible he looked Sulu up and down, then looked up at Kirk.

Sulu wasn't being tortured? He was really okay? He almost didn't believe, but when he looked back down, it was apparent there were no new injuries. "Zhey did not hurt you?" he asked haltingly, voice just above a whisper.

Sulu tilted his head a little, confused. He understood what was going on a moment later. “No.” He answered gently. “We’re safe here.” He glanced up at Kirk, who nodded resolutely, then met Chekov’s gaze again. “I promise. I wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true.”

Chekov eyed Sulu dubiously, pausing to wipe his face dry. "You zhought zhe ambassador vas safe." He argued with a frown. "Ve zhought eet vas all good and eet turned out not to be. How do ve know eet is safe here?" He shuddered. Somewhere deep down he knew the Enterprise was and always would be safe. He trusted these people. He knew he could count on them. But they also believed the ambassador to be who he was and look where that had led them. Chekov didn't know who to trust anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you guys love it or hate it when I hold onto chapters and just dump 4 of them on here at one time?


	21. Chapter 21

Sulu sighed lightly, shifting to sit on the floor more comfortably and frowning down at his hands. “Most people, when you ask if this place is safe, they laugh, and say of course, this is Starfleet. It’s safe.” Sulu began, speaking in a soft tone, trying to organize his thoughts and feelings on the topic. He trusted Jim, and Chekov, and he thought, and hoped, that what he was saying might get through to his friend. “I know, because I asked around. When I first came here.”

Sulu looked up at Chekov, pausing before he continued. “But, the thing is, just because this is Starfleet, doesn’t make it safe. Missions are always dangerous, there’s always the chance something will go wrong. What makes it safe, what makes it /feel/ safe, are the people around you. Friends. _Real_ friends.” Sulu gave a small smile at that. It had been Chekov who proven what a real friend was and he hoped his emphasis on ‘real’ wouldn’t go unnoticed. “A captain who goes down to the surface of a planet in the middle of a civil war to find his missing crew. Who takes his chief engineer with him when it might have been more in line with regulations not too. That _feels_ safe to me.”

Sulu knew that back on his old ship, Pruitt would never have risked himself, much less another of his chief staff. Most captains in the fleet would probably have the same thought process, might not even risk violating the tentative treaty between the Federation and Angoria. Sulu brushed those thoughts away, concentrating on the moment. “But even the best officer can be lied to, tricked into believing someone is who they aren’t. But when things went bad, everyone on this ship was doing their best to bring us back home.”

Sulu stopped for a moment, wondering when the Enterprise had become home to him. He hadn’t even realized he thought of it that way until the word had come out, but that made it no less true. “I didn’t feel safe when I first came on board.” Sulu admitted. “I know what it’s like, not feeling safe. Not _being_ safe. What it’s like not to trust anyone around you because at any moment they could get you killed, or just...” His voice dropped a bit, glancing away. “I thought that any little thing I did wrong would get me thrown out, left somewhere just like last time.”

“But between you, Jim, Scotty.” He chuckled a bit, adding. “And McCoy. I know that’s not how it works. That’s not how it was _ever_ supposed to work.”

He sighed a little, feeling like he’d gotten a bit off topic, but wanting to iterate to Chekov just how /he/ felt about this ship, this crew. He couldn’t promise Chekov they would never get hurt, or that it was perfectly safe. The best he could offer was the feeling of safety. He was going to have his fair share of nightmares over this mission, but he still felt safe on the Enterprise. He wanted Chekov to feel that too.

“Pav, that’s how we can know it’s safe here. It _is_ safe. As safe as it ever gets out here.”

Kirk kept silent as Sulu slid down to sit on the floor. Hearing Chekov’s words were like knives right in his chest. He’d always felt protective over Chekov, and hearing him so afraid, it was crushing. Chekov had actually thought he would hurt Sulu? Jim tried not to take it personally, it was just the after effects of what had happened down on the planet, but it still hurt. Made the events that had taken place on the planet personal.

It was all Jim could do to remain relaxed standing beside the two of them. Considering what the both of them had been through, he could only assume him losing his temper would only damage the already frail bit of calm in the room. And he didn’t want to do that, didn’t want to interrupt what Sulu was saying. Hearing Sulu’s words was a bitter sweet feeling. He was glad that he’d helped the man feel at home, safe on the Enterprise. But the reminder that Sulu’d wandering the ship in fear for any time at all was difficult to hear.

He didn’t want that for Chekov. For any of his friends. No. His family. They were family to him and he would do whatever it took to protect them. Kirk understood why Sulu had, initially, been reserved, and even fearful of being around him. Pruitt had been a piece of work, and after being in that… place, Sulu’d had to adopt some coping mechanisms to survive. A deep-seated fear and mistrust of basically everyone had been top of that. But the pilot had come far enough along that they were friends. When he’d first started to get to know Chekov, the kid had been nervous, but he’d come around eventually.   
Kirk felt another rush of anger toward the whole situation. Pruitt, Nure, the Angorians. All of them had caused so many problems. He blamed himself too. If wouldn’t have wasted so much time in that court room, gotten to the bridge faster. He might have spared the both of them so much turmoil, spared Hillary. He shouldn’t have let them go down there at all. He should have…

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, centering himself. Spock would say that wishing to change the past was illogical. Or something to that effect anyway. So, Kirk opened his eyes as Sulu fell quiet, focusing on the two officers, his two friends, in front of him. They were here, and alive. Right now, they were what mattered.

Chekov held his breath as Sulu shifted, moving into another position himself when the pilot looked back up. By the look of his face, it was obvious things were about to get serious. Chekov bit his tongue silently, hoping it wasn't going to be a lecture. He hadn't meant to cry. It just happened. He tried to stop it, he really did, but when a glass is already full, it runs over.

The words that followed genuinely surprised him. He listened intently, but occasionally his eyes would roam listlessly around the room. He couldn't bear to look Sulu in the eye the whole time. Especially not as the Asian got personal. At the mention of friends, his gaze flicked over to meet Sulu's for a few seconds, before they darted down to his lap. He hadn't realized he had made such a difference in Sulu's life. He certainly didn't see it as anything special.

Yes, he considered Hikaru to be his best friend and he had wanted to help the man out of his shell, but it wasn't like he was the "best friend in the whole world". If he really wanted to, Sulu could probably find a better match somewhere in the ship. Someone more compatible. In Pavel's eyes, he was far from being a great friend. Look at where his friendship had gotten Hillary.

Sulu made a good point, though. If they hadn't cared, Kirk would've just left them down there. But the man /did/ care - and Scotty too - enough to rescue them even thought the odds were low. Chekov glanced up at Kirk. There was an unmistakable glimmer of hurt in his eyes and the Russian instantly felt the guilt wave over him once again.

How could he have thought Kirk didn't care? It was obvious he did. So why was he having such a hard time believing? His gaze drifted back down as his stomach tied in a knot. He imagined his words had been like a slap to the face to Kirk. He wished he could go back time and change things, but he knew if he was given the opportunity, nothing would really change. He couldn't go back and tell everyone not to trust the "ambassador".

Even if he could, no one would believe him. It would simply be another officer to fill his place. Chekov could feel the tears well up again as Sulu basically described himself. That was exactly how he felt. If he messed up, no matter how miniscule, he was convinced that Sulu would somehow get hurt. It was irrational, but he couldn't help it. He sniffed quietly, trying to hold it together. What had Sulu gone through… how was that not enough to make him never feel safe again? How could he be saying these words, when Chekov _knew_ he was hurting as much, or even more, as him. There was such strength and courage in those words... How was he doing it? How could he be so strong after what they had just gone through.

Pavel didn't think he'd ever be strong again. The silence that followed was heavy, though Sulu's words still lingered like thick smoke. Chekov didn't risk looking at either of them, for fear he would burst into tears again. No one needed that. He hid his face in his lap to hide his quivering lip, and tried to stay as still as possible. Though he desperately wanted to, it was impossible to believe they were safe. They still felt so close to Argonia, even though he knew they weren't.

"I know I should not feel zhis vay," he mumbled with a thick voice. "I just..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say. In that moment, he felt like such a baby. It took one bad encounter for him to feel this way. To strip him away of everything he knew. He was so weak for that to happen and he felt ashamed.

Kirk shook his head slightly, shifting forward and putting a gentle hand on Chekov’s shoulder. “You have every right to feel that way. After a mission like this no one can fault you for it.” He encouraged. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help, alright?”

He would too. If Chekov was having trouble trusting, Jim would do whatever it took to reestablish that trust. Prove to Chekov that he, and Sulu, were safe on this ship.  
He turned to smile a little at Sulu, holding out his hand to help the pilot up. “Come on.” He said, attempting to lighten the mood and not let the silence become too heavy. “McCoy will have a fit if he finds out I let you sit on the floor this long.”

Sulu snorted at that, casting one last somewhat worried glance at Chekov, then accepted Jim’s help. He stretched lightly, getting rid of the mild stiffness in his muscles.

Kirk let out a little breath, trying to keep his own emotions in check. “If you guys need a few moments more, we can wait as long as you need.” He offered, including Sulu in an attempt not to make Chekov uncomfortable.


	22. Chapter 22

Chekov relaxed a bit under Kirk's warm touch. He nodded in acknowledgement, wondering just how long it would take to get the trust back. He hoped it would be soon. He hated shying away from people in the halls, and he knew there would be no shortage of turned down social events.

After listening to Sulu stand up, Chekov lifted his head and looked at Kirk. He wore a blank expression, as if the meltdown had never happened. "Eet is okay," he stated slowly. "Ve can continue now, if you vant." He wasn't about to let his emotions blow this time. This time he had stuffed them down far. They wouldn't get in the way again.

Kirk nodded, waiting until Sulu had settled back into his seat, then taking his place. He glanced over at Chekov. “I’ll restart the record, and we’ll go forward with how you managed to escape from Nure. Alright?” He asked, hesitant, and maybe a bit paranoid, about pushing any buttons without fair warning to Chekov.

Chekov nodded again, though couldn't help but eye the switch warily. He watched Sulu out of the corner of his vision, watching anxiously for any signs of discomfort. When he saw none, he let out a breath and put his whole attention on Kirk once again.

Kirk nodded as he started the record, sitting back in his seat. He looked toward Sulu first, giving Chekov a bit longer to get his thoughts in order.

Sulu shook his head, however, frowning a bit. “I don’t remember much of anything that happened after. Most of it was just a blur…” He almost shrugged, stopping halfway through the motion as his sore shoulder complained. He didn’t want to go into the specifics of why. He’d been in too much pain to really keep track of the events. “I remember being on the floor, my shoulder, then trying to walk. I think I told Chekov to leave…”

Sulu looked over at Chekov. He wasn’t sure if he’d actually said it or if that had just been something he’d thought to himself.

Chekov looked over at Sulu and nodded a few times, replaying the scene in his head. "Aye, you did tell me. At least tvice." he paused, glancing up at the ceiling as he thought. It was starting to grow fuzzy and he had a hard time trying to remember what had happened.

"Eet is starting to become unclear here," he mentioned, furrowing his eyebrows. "I remember ve vere going down some hallvay. Sulu vasn't doing good and I couldn't carry him so ve sat down against zhe vall." he swiveled in his chair for a few moments, silent. He blinked, looking at Kirk. "I did not tell you how ve got out of zhat one room, did I?" It was important to get everything, no matter how painful.

Kirk shook his head. “No, you haven’t. We paused before then. You’d stated that they were forcing you to correct the bomb. McCoy’s medical report will be enough on what they did to Lt. Sulu, so you don’t need to go into all that.” Jim assured. He’d read enough into that and knew it would do no good to have Chekov reiterate it here and now. He’d deal with integrating that into this record on his own later.

Chekov nodded, looking between Kirk and Sulu. He'd have to get that report later. "if zhat does not need to get filled in, zhen zhat is really all I hawe on my part. You stepped in right after Nure confronted us." he shrugged, turning to Sulu. "Did I miss anyzhing?"

Sulu shook his head. “Nothing I can think of. Next think I really remember is waking up in sickbay.” Which had been a happy surprise.

“Okay, that will conclude this report then.” Kirk stated, making a note of the time and date before turning to recording off. “Both of you, thank you. I know it’s been a long few days.” Kirk knew he had a long few days in store for himself, but the least he could offer Chekov and Sulu was a chance to recuperate. “Sulu, you’re off duty until McCoy clears you, and Chekov you’ve got the next couple days off as well.”

Jim sighed slightly, leaning forward as he considered his next words. “I’m giving the two of you some shore leave time. The Enterprise has received a new mission a few days journey from Veta 4.” He glanced over at Sulu, because he was the one most likely not to know about the planet. “Veta 4 is a Federation planet, used to be a simple outpost but it’s more of a metropolitan planet now. Nice place, I’ve been there more than once.” He explained with a grin.

“We’ll drop you two off there. A few other crew are staying on Veta 4 as well.” He explained, not wanting it to sound like they were being singled out. It was just this was a good opportunity for both of them to unwind. As well as maybe deal with any lingering issues from this mission. “HQ has recommended both of you speak with a professional about the recent mission.” He said, glancing at Sulu briefly as he added. “And about Reagis III.”

Sulu grimaced a bit at that, not thrilled with the prospect. Looks like there was another string attached to the whole back in the fleet thing.

“We’ll be at Veta 4 in a week.” Kirk concluded, glancing between them in case either had questions or comments.

After hearing he was off duty, Chekov frowned. He had been eager to jump back into his regular shift times tomorrow, rather than sitting in his room alone and letting the memories wander. The last two days had been tough enough and while Kirk said no duty, he could always slip around engineering and lend a helping hand.

But what if he got caught? He would get yelled at. Well, he'd just have to be extra sneaky.

Veta 4? They had traveled there once or twice, but he had never actually been down. A cold shiver curled around Chekov as Kirk said they would be going down. He wasn't exactly excited at the prospect of visiting another planet. Would the captain be going? What if something happened? To put it bluntly, he didn't want to go. With the added thought of going to see "a professional", Chekov was really starting to despise this Veta planet.

How long were they supposed to be down there?

From what Kirk said, it seemed that they were expected to "live" down there or something. Stay for an extended amount of time. Pavel didn't want any part of that. He belonged on the Enterprise. Nervously drumming his fingers on the table, he considered asking whether this recommendation was an order or not, but decided against it.

Don't question authority. It didn't end well. He bit his tongue and glanced over at Sulu, wondering if he was just as against the idea. Maybe he could bring up his concerns with him later when they were in the confines of one of their quarters. But what if there were hidden cameras? That would mean double penalty. Discussing something like that privately. Chekov shuddered involuntarily as his eyes darted over to the door for a few seconds.

Kirk let the silence hang for a moment, making sure neither had any questions or concerns, then stood up. “Meeting adjourned then.” He quipped, trying to be chipper.

Sulu got up as well, trying to smile back at Kirk. He was pretty sure he succeeded well enough. Hikaru was still worried, mostly about Chekov at this point, but for now at least they were done. Neither of them would have to deal with the Argonian fiasco, at least not for a while. His eyes drifted over to Chekov as Kirk headed out. Sulu paused near the door, tilting his head slightly.

“You okay, Pav?” He asked quietly.

Chekov rose with the other two, not bothering to gather a smile. He waited for Kirk to leave before moving to the door himself. Sulu spoke to him, and Chekov nearly winced from the concern in his voice. No, he wasn't okay, but that was probably pretty obvious.

"Yeah," he answered after a pause, examining Sulu's expression. "Are you?"

Sulu put on his best confident grin. “Me? I’m fine.” He shifting into an exaggerated pose. “It’ll take more than that to break me.” He wrinkled his nose a second later, straightening. That… hadn’t come out right. “Sorry.” He apologized. “I’m fine really.”

He was. Mostly. He felt guilty, sure, because he’d been used against his friend. But Chekov seemed to be in worse shape. He was so jumpy. It reminded Sulu of himself, when he’d first come aboard. Hikaru felt himself woefully unprepared and underqualified to be the one trying to help Pav be more at ease.

A part of him wished it had been the other way around. Not that he wanted to ever see Chekov injured. But, it felt like he’d had the easier end of this. Yeah, he’d been hurt, still had the marks to prove it, but Chekov’s wounds would last longer. Sulu would have done anything to spare him that. The situation felt exceptionally weird to Sulu though, because now he knew both side of it, having a friend used against him and being used against a friend.

He waved a little toward the corridor, giving Chekov a small smile. “You… wanna hang out or anything?” Sulu didn’t want to push, though, honestly, he would be glad of company himself.

A small chuckle escaped Chekov at Sulu's reaction. He felt a twinge of guilt, however, at the Asian's words. He had said he was fine and he really seemed to be okay aside from whatever physical pain he had. The away mission had left him battered, but he was bouncing back so quickly. Why was it that he, Pavel, didn't have a scratch on him, yet he was affected so deeply?

He was slowly drawn out of his thoughts by Hikaru's hesitant invitation. Chekov blinked, tilting his head at Sulu. He hesitated more out of shock than anything. It surprised him that Sulu wanted to hang out with him. Chekov had been sure that he blamed him for what happened and that after the meeting and whatever else that was left to be done, they would take opposite paths. This was completely out of what he had imagined.

"...Sure." he replied after a pause, still in unbelief.


	23. Chapter 23

Sulu’s spirits lifted at Chekov’s little chuckle, a grin forming on his face for a moment. It wasn’t much, but it to Hikaru it felt like a major win. Perhaps he didn’t suck at this cheering up thing after all. He had a moment of nervousness at the time it took Chekov to accept his invitation, but cheered up quickly enough afterward. For a moment, he’d thought maybe Pav would have decided he’d be better off on his own.

“Great.” Sulu replied, tone still somewhat soft, though happy. “Get some food? Maybe watch something?” He offered, beginning to walk down the corridor. “Food is nonnegotiable for me though. McCoy’s orders.” He sighed, scoffing a bit to play it off.

Chekov fell into step beside Sulu, nodding. "I should probably eat too," he stated thoughtfully, knowing that if he lost much more weight McCoy would have a fit. At the mention of the doctor, his mind started to go off on a tangent. Later, once he was done hanging with Sulu, he'd have to make a stop by sickbay to try and look at Sulu's medical records.

It was more curiosity than anything, but he needed to know what he had done. He _had_ to. It was bugging him too much and maybe once he knew he could settle down and apologize correctly. It wouldn't be easy to get it from McCoy, so maybe he could talk to one of the other doctors. And if /they/ didn't give him access, he would have to take things into his own hands.

Chekov blinked multiple times as he realized they were nearly at the cafeteria. His stomach tied into a knot as they approached. He hadn't entered the mess hall since they left that one day, and for some reason the thought of going back was starting to freak him out. He frowned lightly to himself and subconsciously shifted closer to Sulu. "Vhat do you zhink you vill get?" He asked quietly, hoping the conversation could distract him from these irrational thoughts.

Sulu glanced down at Chekov as they approached the cafeteria door. It had been a quiet walk, nearing awkward for Sulu because he had no idea what his friend was thinking. Pav had seemed okay enough with hanging out, but the more Sulu thought about it, the more he wondered if he hadn’t heard a little hesitance in Chekov’s acceptance. “Uh. I’m not sure. Something light I guess. I’m not really hungry.” He admitted, heading into the cafeteria. “Soup? Sandwich? Maybe some rice, like when I was a kid… My mom used to make this one thing… I can probably get the replicator to make some. You want any?” He offered.

Chekov glanced around nervously as they entered, but relaxed some on finding that none of his friends were there. That meant no other interaction. In and out. All was good so far. He followed after Sulu to a replicator. In all honesty, he wasn't hungry at all, but maybe he would be later when they watched whatever it was they were going to watch. "Zhe rice zhing sounds interesting," he said, remembering that rice wasn't incredibly filling.

Sulu nodded, heading over to the replicator. It took a few extra moments to get the computer to understand what it was he wanted, but eventually he came away with two plates. He had water in his quarters, so he wasn’t concerned with bringing drinks with them. “Is my room alright?”

Chekov nodded. It would be best to go to Sulu's quarters anyway, because if they went to Chekov's Hikaru might see the phaser and question why he was keeping it. He honestly didn't know, but he supposed it gave him a strange sense of comfort knowing it was in his hands and not Nure's.

Pavel made a mini mental note to hide it away later, so no one could take it away. Turning towards the door, his heart skipped a bit as he spotted Hutch coming this way. His expression was unreadable, and Chekov could only hope that there would be no stand-offs. The man stepped in front of them, looked between them for a moment, before a shy grin appeared on his face.

"Hey," he greeted awkwardly. Chekov was frozen, trying hard to relax and all he could do was watch him suspiciously. "I uh, it's good to have you guys back. I was really worried about you." Hutch shifted from foot to foot, now avoiding their gazes, though he spoke primarily to Sulu now. "I wanted to apologize for how I acted the other day. It was out of hand and I shouldn't have treated you that way." He shrugged, trying to give off a nonchalant kind of attitude, though he meant his words.

Sulu stopped as Hutch approached, keeping his expression neutral and reminding himself that this was one of Chekov’s friends. He was not expecting the friendly greeting, or the apology. He shifted slightly, feeling a vague sort of suspicion, though he pushed the feeling away. Hutch seemed sincere, and Sulu knew it was just the past that caused him to hesitate. “Thank you.” He said, giving Hutch a grin. “Apology accepted. And I should apologize too. I know I didn’t handle that very well myself.”

Hutch looked up and returned Sulu's grin with one of his own. "It's all good," he replied cheerfully, before looking over at Chekov. The kid seemed off somehow, though he couldn't put his finger on it. "We should hang again sometime. It's been awhile!" he laughed as Chekov gave an uncertain nod, and returned his gaze to Sulu, though it paused for a bit on the tray. "Looks good," he commented. "So I won't keep you from it." he stepped to the side and gave them both a head nod. "See ya 'round, okay?"

Sulu nodded as well, pleased but confused as well, heading out of the cafeteria and to his quarters. He supposed it made sense, sometimes people’s attitudes could change under pressure. Chekov and Hutch had been friends, probably close ones before Sulu’d come around, so it made sense to Hikaru that Hutch might have been regretful when Chekov had gone missing. Him deciding to make peace with Sulu in order to still be friends with Chekov made sense to the pilot.

At least that answered his own uncertainties enough for him to put the issue to the side. Maybe he’d find out the real reasoning one day, if he and Hutch ever became good enough friends. He was a bit relieved to get to his room, ready to just settle down for a while and rest. He balanced the tray as he opened the door, heading in and putting the tray on the counter, taking his plate and going to sit on the bed.

Chekov didn't say anything as they walked back. Didn't even really think. He just sort of walked in a light daze, coming back as the door closed behind him in Sulu's quarters. He watched Hikaru settle in, before moving forward to grab his place. He had to admit that it looked and smelled delicious, but it wasn't enough to fuel his appetite completely. Pavel climbed up beside Sulu, half wanting to curl against him, half not wanting to hurt him. He decided to sit close, but not touching. "So, vhat are ve going to vatch?" he asked, looking over at Sulu. Memories of the video feed started to surface and he had to look away, focusing on the food in front of him.

Sulu picked at his food for a moment, then decided it was good enough he’d actually eat it. “Dunno.” He said, thinking for a minute as he ate. After a bit, he put the put the plate down to reach over to grab a data PADD on the desk that was on the other side of the bed. He couldn’t really reach or stretch that far comfortably, so he ended up kind of scooting across the bed in a ridiculous manner. He lay on his stomach beside Chekov rather than spend the energy to move back to his original seated position. “Something funny?” He offered, scrolling the list and stopping it randomly and showing it to Pavel to see what he though.

Chekov watched with amusement as Sulu scooted across the bed. He shifted so that he could see the screen better as the pilot scrolled through. Nothing really caught his eye, so he ate a couple grains of rice to pass the time. A bit later, however, he pointed to a colourful cover. "I like zhe old art style on zhis one," he said, leaning forward to read the title. "Brozher Bear... Zhat sounds nice." It looked like it had a lot of animals and maybe that could cheer both of them up. He didn't know about Sulu, but animals always made Chekov feel better.

Sulu nodded, huffing as he pushed himself up and moved off the bed. He grabbed his half-eaten plate of food and put it on the counter out of the way, then went to get the movie going. After he’d gotten it going, the old-time credits beginning, he stretched back out on the bed, shifting to get comfortable and then looking over at Chekov. “I’m probably going to fall asleep, so, fair warning.”  
Chekov moved into a more comfortable position and nodded at Sulu. "I vill fill you in on vhatewer you miss," he said, eyes sparkling with mischief as he smiled some. He turned his attention to the movie, giggling quietly at the graphics and strange names.

Sulu made it a fair way into the movie, though his chuckles at the jokes came at a bit of a delay as he began to drift off. At some point, he shifted closer to Chekov, curling close to him. He let out a little sigh, fully relaxing, finally giving up and just closing his eyes and letting himself sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

Chekov was enjoying Sulu's closeness and since it didn't seem to be hurting him, he snuggled closer himself. Sulu's breathing had deepened and Chekov knew he was asleep. There wasn't much time left in the film so he enjoyed it silently, almost not wanting to get up once it had finished. He sighed, knowing he had a task he wanted to complete and started to sit up slowly.

He wondered how long it would take for Sulu to realize he wasn't there. Hopefully long enough for him to get the information he wanted. Once up, Chekov placed his cold, uneaten meal next to Sulu's and moved softly to the door. He glanced at his friend for a moment before he slipped out, making his way to sickbay. His nerves started to resurface as he entered.

They had been mostly gone throughout the movie, but here they were again, causing him to pause and question himself. Did he really need to know this? What if it was a bad idea? He furrowed his eyebrows, nodding slightly. Yes, and he was going to do this.

Nevertheless, he walked forward uncertainly, keeping an eye out for McCoy. He was currently on one side of the room, so Chekov went to the other. He quietly approached one of the doctors, who smiled at him as he got closer. "How can I help you?" He asked, and Chekov suddenly feared that he wouldn't be able to get them.

"Um, I am here for Lt. Sulu's medical records." He replied haltingly, straightening as he tried to appear formal. The doctor tilted his head questioningly. "Do you have clearance?" Chekov froze. Clearance? He had no idea he needed anything like that. He thought he could simply come in and ask for it, but apparently, that wasn't the case. The doctor took Chekov's stunned silence as a no, and gestured over to McCoy. "You'll have to talk to the CMO about that, then."

Chekov swallowed thickly and looked over at the chief doctor nervously. "Alright, zhank you." He managed to sputter out, before stepping to the side a few steps. He watched McCoy work with a fast beating heart. He couldn't go over there. He didn't _want_ to go over there. He knew almost for a fact that McCoy wouldn't give him it. The reason being, he had been there with Sulu. Kirk had probably already told him not to tell Chekov anything anyway. He was already here, though, and the worst he could say was no.... right?

McCoy was currently sorting some samples, concentrating on his work though keeping an eye on the general motion of his sickbay. He noticed the doctor motioning his direction, and after a moment he looked over. His eyebrow rose as he saw Chekov.

“What can I do for you Mister Chekov?” He asked, turning back to the samples and placing the last of them in their place. It was a rare moment of quiet in sickbay with few patients and none that needed the CMO’s attention. McCoy’d been waiting for his luck to break, and it appeared it had. He turned from the shelf, walking over to the Russian and glancing him over. His curiosity was peaked as he saw there were no injuries and the navigator appeared to be healthy.

Chekov remained frozen to the spot, but he was somewhat relieved that the doctor seemed to be in a surprisingly ok mood. He clasped his hands behind him in attempt to stop the shaking, and tried to appear calm. "I vish to hawe access to Mister Sulu's recent medical files."

McCoy frowned at that, brow furrowing as he shifted his weight to one foot. “You shouldn’t be asking for that kid.” He gruffed, crossing his arms. He hadn’t missed the uneasy body language the Russian was displaying. “What’s this about? Has there been a change in his condition?” McCoy’s frown deepened, a feeling of annoyed worry causing him to glance over at his medkit, fully prepared to hunt the pilot down if it came to it.

"No no no, zhere hawe been no changes," Chekov assured quickly, shaking his head. He was a bit put off by the doctor's sudden change of demeanor and struggled to find the right words. "No. Zhis is more of a... Somezhing I need for a report I am doing." he looked up at McCoy with what he hoped were big, innocent eyes. It wasn't a total lie; he _was_ doing a report of sorts. For himself.

McCoy relaxed slightly at the assurance, grunting. “Well, sorry to break it to ya Mister Chekov, but unless ya got permission from Mister Sulu, you can’t have em.” He paused, frowning to himself, wondering just what kind of report Chekov could be doing that he’d need to know Sulu’s information. Kirk would have already received his own report on Sulu’s condition, it shouldn’t be needed in Chekov’s.

Chekov forced a laugh, though his tension was growing steadily. "I did not vant to vake him," he said, hoping McCoy's sympathetic doctor instincts would kick in. "Can't I just hawe zhe access codes, keep zhem for a bit, zhen ask Sulu vhen he vakes up?" He knew for a fact that he was backing himself into a corner. McCoy was undoubtedly beyond suspicious, and Chekov was running out of excuses. At this rate, it would just be easier to tap into the systems and retrieve it that way.

“Glad to hear he’s finally getting some sleep. Bout time someone round here started doing what their doctor says.” McCoy said saucily, mostly a comment to himself. He shook his head at Chekov’s request. “Sorry, medical protocol. It’d be against regulations.” He tilted his head a bit, watching Chekov closely as he asked. “What kinda report are you working on that it can’t wait?”

McCoy was on to him. He was done for. Chekov paled a bit at his question and took a small step back. "Eet is nozhing terribly important," he said, stumbling over his words. "I can just come back later..." /Or not at all./ Realizing that if he stayed any longer McCoy might pull a hypo on him, Chekov turned quickly on his heel and strode towards the door. He didn't spare any second glances, simply kept his head down and moved forward.

McCoy frowned, eyes narrowing slightly as Chekov walked away. Before he could say anything or follow after him to get to the bottom of this little mystery, his comm chirped. He ground his teeth a little upon hearing there had been an /incident/ in the science lab. He called a couple of his staff to go with him, sweeping up his medkit in one hand and hurrying away, all thoughts of Chekov pushed to the side.

Nurse Christine Hiteman was heading to her shift in sickbay, straightening her uniform as she walking through the doors. She gave a little squeak of surprise as she nearly ran into Chekov, blinking and stepping back. “Oh, sorry.” She stopped, pulling him to the side and out of the way as McCoy and a few others left. She watched them leave, then turned back to Chekov with a smile. “Sorry about that, guess I should watch where I’m going. How are you doing? Did you need something?” She couldn’t remember if he’d been coming or going, so she figured she might as well see if she could help him.

Chekov jumped at the noise directly beside him and whipped his head up. He came face-to-face with one of the nurses and his eyes widened with surprise. He stepped back, watching as McCoy left with a small, relieved sigh. Turning his attention to Christine, he gave her a shy smile. "Eet is fine," he said quietly. He wanted nothing more than to leave, but he wasn't going to be rude. Besides, maybe she could help him. "I er, I vas just looking for some medical files, actually," he stated hesitatingly, unsure if he should really be asking for them. "Lieutenant Sulu, I beliewe?" He could only hope that his accent and curls were enough to make him appear innocent.

Chris grinned at him, happy to be of some help to him. She’d seen the Russian around and thought he was just the cutest thing. She’d never say it though, because it would probably be taken the wrong way. She wasn’t going to offend him by saying he was adorable. She nodded toward her station. “I think I could help with that.” She chirped, heading in that direction. “Do you have permission to see them?” She asked distractedly, typing in a search for this Lt. Sulu.

Chekov couldn't believe it was actually working. He followed her in amazement, watching with nervousness as she started to type. He fully expected her to turn around and give him a lecture any minute, but she seemed okay with it. After a bit of hesitation, he finally acknowledged her question. "Yes."

Immediately he could feel a wave of heat wash over him at the lie. Sulu hadn't given him permission. He probably didn't even know where he was, if he was awake. Chekov bit his tongue and shifted from foot to foot, peering over her shoulder as he waited for the results.

Chris nodded, not looking over at Pav as he answered, too busy typing in her security code. “Alright then. Usually, we’re supposed to have the person in question here in order to verify it, or a written form from an officer.” Officer being captain, CMO, or some other such. She looked up at Chekov with a cheeky grin. Seeing Sulu’s file, she recognized him, and that he and Chekov appeared to be friends, and the situation that had recently occurred concerning both. “You two are friends though, so I suppose I can take your word for it.” She teased, shaking her head. “So, what in the file did you need to know?”  
She stopped as the medical team returned, bringing with them a fair few patients. “Sorry, just. Um, I’ll be back.” She said, glancing once at Chekov before hurrying over to where McCoy and the other doctors were working.

Chekov chuckled anxiously as she spoke. He was genuinely surprised she was being so chill about the whole thing. Even the other doctor, before he sent him to McCoy, seemed a bit touchy about the whole thing.

"Uhh..." he was caught off guard by her question. He didn't know there would be options. Wasn't it just the one report from the latest catastrophe? Chekov was at a complete loss. The silence was beginning to get to him, when the door swished open and a handful of patients were hurried in. Chekov flinched and watched everyone rush around, and before he knew it he was left alone with the computer. Now he was really in shock. He took back what he had said earlier about this being hard. Luck was apparently on his side.

Not sure when this dream would end, he moved forward, quickly flipping through the files. There were various check-ups and doctor’s orders, but it wasn't long before he found the Andoria report. He paused, thinking again if he really wanted to know this information. It probably wouldn't leave him easily, if at all. What if, instead of the relief he was seeking, it only brought more grief?

Pavel swallowed deeply and shook his hands to try and get some feeling back. Now or never, and he had to know.


	25. Chapter 25

Pavel dove in, his eyes darted across the screen, reading the text as fast as possible. Between all the confusing doctor speech, he managed to get a list of all of Sulu's injuries. Broken ribs, severe blood loss, electrical burns... He couldn't believe he had basically inflicted all of this and more upon the man. Tears welled up in his eyes. He felt sickeningly guilty. How could Sulu ever accept his apologies?

Maybe he didn't know the full extent of the whole situation and how it was Pavel's actions who gave him this report. Chekov took a deep breath and wiped his eyes before anyone could see. Can't be weak here. Of all places, not here. He was about to walk away, when something at the top caught his attention. Reagis III... The Reagis report.

He furrowed his eyebrows. He never fully learned what had happened those two years. No one had ever told him. It was time to find out. Knowing he would somehow stop himself if he didn’t just do it, he clicked on it without a second thought and skimmed over it. If he thought he felt sick before, now he felt even worse. His stomach reeled and he was almost certain he was going to throw up then and there. He finally had to stop reading when the tears blurred his vision. How was Sulu still alive. That was what he wanted to know. Through everything that had happened, how was this miracle man still standing?

Chekov attempted to step away, but the room suddenly lurched and he had to grab the side of the computer to keep from toppling over. His breath was short and he felt incredibly dizzy. How could anyone do that to someone? No wonder Sulu had been so mistrusting. To be treated like that then suddenly thrown back into normal life so quickly...

Leaning against the device, he lifted a hand to his face. It barely registered just how bad he was shaking, but right now he didn't care. He didn't care if he looked like an idiot, standing there whilst falling apart inside. He didn't care if he fell over and died of a heart attack, as it felt like his heart was currently working overtime. In fact, he silently hoped he would die. Just keel over and never wake up. It would be better than living with that information.

For the first time, he realized just how bad of an idea this whole thing was. Why couldn't he have just listened to those ancient sayings. Curiosity killed the cat. This cat was certainly close to it.  
After a while, Chris remembered that she’d left Chekov by her station. He was probably still waiting, she figured, and managed to finish up with the patient in front of her quickly and headed over. She frowned seeing the unsteady way the Russian was standing, hurrying over quickly. “Hey, are you alright?” She asked, concern in her tone as she looked him over.

Chekov flinched as Chris hurried forward. He inched away from her, letting go of his support and stumbling forward. "Nyet," he murmured in response, inadvertently reverting back to Russian. He was far from alright, but there wasn't anything anyone could do. Staying here only increased his panic as it dawned on him that if McCoy saw him, he would be in so much trouble.

Mumbling a quick 'thank you', to Christine, he turned to the door and scrambled out. Even once he was out, he kept running. He wanted to go see Sulu and check to see if he was really still here, but he knew that if he went in this state, it would do no good. Sulu would feel bad, and he didn't need anything else on his plate. Instead, he went back to the only place he felt was safe at the moment: his quarters.

He made a beeline to the toilet and promptly threw up. He flushed and fell against the wall, breathing deeply as he shuddered. His eyes were closed and he tried to focus on something else, but all he could see were images of Sulu, lying forgotten and lifeless. Horrified, he opened his eyes, but they were still there. That created more bile and he was sick again.

He lay still for a few moments more, despite knowing there was nothing at all left in his stomach. McCoy was going to kill him if he ever found out about this. Still feeling a bit queasy, but well enough to move, Chekov stood up and leaned against the sink. It scared him how weak he felt. He knew he should rest before doing anything, but he had to check on Sulu. There was no doubt about that.

Quickly brushing his teeth, he walked back out into the corridor. One hand on the wall, he slowly made his way to Sulu's quarters.

Hikaru lay curled up in a tight ball on his bed, muttering restlessly in his sleep. Most of it was English, though, every once in a while, there were strings of the Reagis language and, more rarely, Japanese.   
Walking in, Chekov was instantly alerted to Sulu's mutterings. Something was wrong. Feeling the panic rise again, he hurried over to his bed and shook the Asian's shoulder. "Hikaru?" he called quietly, voice hoarse. "Hikaru, vake up!"

Sulu woke with a pained yelp, instinctively shoving at the body near him, focused only on getting the hands off his shoulder. “Stop it!” He snapped, uncurling and shrinking back. “Stop it…” He trailed off, staring at Chekov in suspicion, one hand holding his sore shoulder. After a moment, he blinked, mind finally catching up and registering who was in front of him. “Pav?” He questioned, a little uncertain. “What… What’s up?” It was a lame, but despite the pain, he wasn’t fully awake, nor 100% sure he wasn’t still dreaming.

Chekov let out a surprised yell at the sudden push, falling heavily on his back. The air was taken from him for a moment and he lay stunned. What had caused Sulu to react like that? A shudder of guilt traveled up his spine as he recalled the dislocated shoulder. He should have remembered. He had just read it. Why didn't he remember that? Thoughts of the other injuries started to trickle in, but he consciously shoved them away before the sickness followed. Chekov slowly sat up on his elbows, looking at Sulu with regretful eyes. "I am sorry," he said, making a total effort to speak in english. "I forgot about your... your shoulder. You vere just so.. upset..." he trailed off, looking away guiltily. "I'm sorry."

Sulu shifted to sit more comfortably, still somewhat tense at the abrupt wake up. “It’s fine, I’m fine.” He said, giving Chekov a small smile through the lingering nerves. “Sorry I… You alright?” He asked guiltily. “I didn’t mean to push you, I just…” He stopped, because that explanation wasn’t a train of thought he wanted to be on right now.

"I am okay," Chekov replied shakily, moving so that his back was against the wall. He didn't know why, but for some reason he felt incredibly scared and helpless.. naked, almost. He silently watched Sulu for a while, unsure as to what to say. If he spoke at all, he was scared everything he had learned would spill out.

"Vhat ah, vhat vere you dreaming about?" he inquired softly. Maybe talking about it would help. Chekov frowned to himself. Of corse not, talking about stuff always made it worse because you basically had to relive it. So then why had he asked that? Pavel sighed and brought his knees up. When would he learn to think before he spoke?

“Just… the past, I guess.” Sulu hedged. It wasn’t entirely untrue. “Nothing all that great, so, yeah. Thanks, for waking me.” He let out a humorless chuckle, gingerly shrugging his shoulder. He took a breath, letting it out slowly as he looked around the dim room.

Chekov nodded in response, keeping quiet. The floor had suddenly gotten very cold, and he was focusing on not shivering. Which was not possible. After a while he got up and, without a word, crawled up next to Sulu. He hesitated a moment, before leaning against him carefully. He sighed, enjoying Sulu's warmth, before glancing over at his arm. There was a long, light scar, and before he was really processing anything, Chekov reached over and traced it, barely touching the skin. "Reagis III?" he whispered, blinking as he tried to keep the tears at bay.

It didn’t take too long before Sulu relaxed fully against Chekov, the contact soothing away the lingering nightmare. He watched Chekov trace the scar, nodding slightly. “Yeah…” He whispered, just as quiet, his tone holding a bit of a question to it. He wasn’t sure what was going on, and the way his friend was acting was starting to worry him, scare him even. “Pav, what’s wrong?”

Chekov kept his eyes glued to the scar as his hand fully covered it. His gaze was distant, though he heard Sulu clearly enough. He wanted to tell him, he really did. But he couldn't. The words were locked in his throat. He couldn't tell Sulu he had been snooping. That he had lied to a nurse for selfish purposes. Their friendship could end and it would all be because of him. Blinking back to reality, Chekov glanced up at Sulu's face, shocked by the fear there. He jerked his hand away. "I.. I can not tell you," he said at last, tearing his gaze away.

Sulu nodded slowly, not sure what to say to that. “Okay.” He spoke hesitantly after a moment. “Just, you know, if.. I mean, if you needed anything, any help, just ask, okay?” He couldn’t rid himself of the worry. What had changed? Things had been fine earlier, Chekov had been giggling at the movie, but now… What had happened in the meantime?

He didn’t _think_ it was him. But… he’d pushed Chekov a moment ago, maybe he’d said something while he was sleeping? Sulu glanced away from Chekov, brow furrowed, heart beating faster at the thought that maybe he really _had_ said or done something that might have changed his friendship with Chekov. How could he fix something if he didn’t know what it was?

Chekov was touched by the offer, but nothing could be done about what was wrong. "No one can help zhis time..." he murmured under his breath, voice under a whisper. And it was true. No one could rewrite what had happened to Sulu down there. No one could change what went down on Andoria. No one could change the guilt he felt for letting Sulu and Hillary down. He was destined to feel this way forever.

When he looked back, his spirits dropped a bit further as Sulu had looked away. Was Sulu upset that he wasn't saying anything? Maybe he was in pain. Worried that was the case, Chekov scooted away some. He wasn't sure how long he would be able to stand the tension in the room. It kept pressing down on him. Would Sulu be offended if he left? What if he had another nightmare and couldn't wake up on his own. Chekov winced. And what if he touched the wrong shoulder again. "......should I go?" He asked nervously, glancing over at Sulu with a great deal of hesitance.

Sulu’s gaze moved back to Chekov when he scooted away, somewhat bewildered and hurt by the action. He really must have done something then. He dropped his eyes to his hands, for the first time in forever feeling like he wanted to cry. He closed his eyes at Chekov’s question, taking a moment before speaking to keep his voice even. “You don’t have to. You can stay, if you want.” He wasn’t sure what he wanted. Sulu didn’t want to make Chekov feel like he was obligated to stay. Maybe that was what was wrong?

Chekov was a bit caught off guard at Sulu's answer. He had expected a solid 'yes' or 'no', but here he was basically saying "I don't care do whatever you want". The problem with that was that he didn't know what he wanted to do.

On one hand, he wanted to go back to his own room, but on the other he wanted to make sure Sulu was going to be alright. With a couple moments of inner turmoil, he eventually decided it might be best to spend some time apart, as much as he hated that thought. Rising slowly to his feet, Chekov looked back at Sulu and feigned a smile.

"I vill be going, I guess," he said awkwardly, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth for some reason. He moved to the door, pausing in case Sulu would stop him.

Hikaru clenched his jaw, throat tight, trying to keep the tears at bay. He nodded silently at Chekov’s words, not trusting himself to speak, unable to look up at the Russian. The quiet after the doors closed behind Chekov was near deafening.

He wasn’t losing Chekov as a friend. He wasn’t… This was just… Sulu cursed, fist clenched tightly on his lap, tears falling despite his best efforts. He just wished he knew what he had done _wrong_. He wanted to chase Chekov down and ask him, beg him, to please please tell him what he’d done, how he’d upset him. He sighed, covering his face with his hands and flopping over to lay on his back, ignoring the twinge of pain that brought his shoulder. He figured he probably deserved the feeling anyway, since he’d somehow managed to mess up the best, and first, friendship he’d made here.   
How the heck was he supposed to make it through the next week? The next however long he was here on the Enterprise. He wiped the tears from his face, staring up at the ceiling. He felt alone. And he couldn’t stop thinking how it was his fault.


	26. Chapter 26

What had he been expecting. Sulu to jump up and tell him not to leave? That they would instantly make up and everything would be fine again? That wasn't how life worked, so why was he expecting anything more.

It was a slow walk back to his quarters. Chekov felt an indescribable loneliness. It felt like he had been stabbed right in the stomach. His eyes were dry which both scared and comforted him. He didn't want to cry, but if felt like he should. He had possibly just lost his best friend and here he was, no tears. Pavel sighed deeply and sat on the edge of his bed, burying his face in his hands.

He didn't even know _why_ he was so upset. He didn't know why he had such a hard time looking Hikaru in the eye. He hated how he was like this, but he didn't know why. Barely registering what was happening, he let out a scream and furiously punched his mattress. He threw his pillows to the side and jumped up, shoving all the PADD's onto the floor. He yelled again and fell to his knees, pounding on the floor a couple times.

It was all so frustrating!

Everything had been fine earlier, and then he had to go and look at those stupid files... It was all his fault that Sulu hated him. He didn't blame the Asian for not wanting to hang out. Who would? Who would want to hang out with someone who snooped into someone else’s private life?

Exactly. No one.

Letting out a final, halfhearted yell, he looked up, instantly spotting Nure's phaser. Almost not of his own accord, he moved towards it, picking it up. It was cold. So cold. Chekov tilted his head and turned it over in his hands, examining it. This is what had killed Hillary. So fast. So painless. So brutal... How many other lives had it taken? How many deceptions had it seen?

Chekov moved back to the bed, looking down at the device with glazed eyes. It would be so easy to... He slowly lifted it with shaking hands, quietly looking down the end of it. Just one push and it could be over. He wouldn't have to worry about Sulu, Sulu wouldn't have to worry about him...

Eyes widening, he suddenly threw the phaser to the side, recoiling violently. He stared at it as his heart beat faster. It was so tempting, but he knew he couldn't do it. The pain wouldn't leave, it would just be passed on to another person. Someone weak enough to actually do it. Pavel threw himself down, curling into a ball as he sobbed into the sheets. _He_ had almost been that weak one.

~~

HIkaru hadn’t seen much of Chekov in the past week, hadn’t really spoken much to him beyond a hello either. Sulu sighed, heart heavy as he packed his bag. The Enterprise would be arriving at Veta 4 in a little over an hour. The ship wouldn’t be in orbit long, wasn’t even going to be docking at the station above the planet. She would just be stopping long enough for some of the crew to transport down to the city, Sulu and Chekov among them, and then the ship would be on it’s way.

Hikaru knew that the Enterprise would be returning in a matter of days, at most two weeks if the mission dragged on, but he still felt nervous. When Kirk had first told them they’d be staying on Veta 4 for shore leave, he hadn’t minded so much. It would be his first shore leave, since joining the Enterprise, and would be… No, he thought, stopping to stare down at his pack. It would _have_ been his first shore leave with a real friend.

He wasn’t so sure if that friendship was still intact, considering how things had ended the last time they hung out. In fact, he was pretty convinced that Chekov didn’t want anything more to do with him. Just what was he supposed to do with himself for the next two weeks? He had free reign over his time, but it had been so long since he’d been in that kind of environment.

Well, free time with the one exception that he had to speak with someone about the mission that had gone so sideways. Sulu wasn’t thrilled with the prospect, but he could see why it was needed. After Reagis III, and then the Angoria incident, he had plenty of things to fuel his nightmares.

And the sessions would only be an hour or so long at most, which left him free to do whatever he wanted in the meantime. Like Kirk had said, the outpost there was more of a flourishing city by this point. Sulu knew that this system was in complete Federation control, and so Kirk had no qualms about letting them, and several other crewmen, stay here while the Enterprise headed over to settle a minor dispute a few day’s journey away.

He sighed, picking the bag up and looking around at his room. It was still pretty bare, and he was struck with the thought of how easily a new officer could be moved in here. How easy it would be to replace him. He’d entertained thoughts, brief thought they might have been, about getting some personal effects to fill the empty spaces. He wasn’t sure he saw the point now though.

Sulu tightened his jaw, trying to get himself under control. This whole incident with Pav… with _Chekov_ , was affecting him more than he’d realized. He ran a hand down his face once, taking a breath and letting it out, then walked out of his room to make his way to the transporter.

The whole week had been a blur. The days mushed together and all Chekov could really remember was doing his shifts, and eating enough food to survive. He much preferred his room. No one watched him there. It felt safe. It _was_ safe. And now he had to go on shore leave.

If it wasn't the captain's orders he would've found a spot in engineering to hide in for a few days. In fact, he still considered the idea, but knew they would only turn around and make him leave in the end. Chekov sighed, grabbed his bag, and moved out. Saying he felt sick was an understatement. He was terrified. Everyone said it was a nice place and that it was safe, but given the circumstances of the last mission... He shook his head. He wasn't going to think of that now.

Walking into the transporter room, he kept his gaze down. He could almost feel Sulu's presence and didn't dare look up to check if his feeling was right. He missed the man, he really did, but he knew that there was probably no chance in talking to him now. He probably didn't want anything to do with him.

Sulu notice Chekov immediately when the Russian entered the transporter room, even with the slight crowd that waited there. The kid didn’t look right, too pale and skinny, and Sulu felt worried. Chekov might not want to be friends with him, but that didn’t erase the concern Hikaru felt. He tried to shake those thoughts away, shifting onto the transporter with a group, unable to stop himself from glancing at Pav once more before the light surrounded him and he was on the surface.

It was a nice place. That was his first though upon looking around. He walked with the rest of the Enterprise group, all of them headed to get their room assignments. Every one of them would be staying on Veta 4 for the duration, so they’d be assigned temporary quarters. He didn’t have to stand in line too long, the were quite efficient here, and was given a room keycode and directions, then was sent on his way.

The walk to his quarters wasn’t far. The building seemed to be solely dedicated to temporary living quarters and most of the crew from the ship were walking near him. He couldn’t bring himself to chat with them, unable to feel any of the excitement they all displayed. Instead, he headed to his room immediately, punching in the code and walking in. There wasn’t much to it. The kitchen area was somewhat small, but the living area was larger with a couch and love seat on one side, and a large bed on the other. Sulu was impressed at the view out the window and he made his way over, tossing his bag on the bed.

The room wasn’t extremely high up, only four floors, but it still gave him a good view of the city. It was beautiful and any other time he might have been able to appreciate the clean Federation look. He frowned, heart heavy in his chest. He couldn’t see the point in it. Not anymore. He scoffed at himself, turning and going to the couch and flopping down. He was being overdramatic.

It wasn’t… it wasn’t that big of a deal. He tried to convince himself of that. He wasn’t completely alone. He… he still had Kirk, and Scotty. Even if neither where here, they were his friends. It was just… It was different with them. Both were so busy, especially Jim. He let out a quiet sigh, one arm hanging off the side of the sofa, staring up at the ceiling with a blank look. He was _fine_.

From what Pavel could see, Veta 4 was a pretty nice place. The air was clean, the buildings were sleek, and there was plenty of beautiful wildlife. But for some reason, as gorgeous as it was, Chekov couldn't bring himself to enjoy it.

He held back in the group, staying towards the back while Sulu hovered near the front. It took an amazing amount of time to get their key codes and before he knew it they were making their way to their rooms. Everyone else was chatting excitedly, and Chekov threw in a couple comments and exclamations once in a while himself. As soon as someone wasn't looking, however, his smile dipped and he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding as they grew closer to the quarters.

A new place, a new room, new people... He wondered how long it would take for him to adapt to it all, if ever. He reminded himself that it would only be for week and pushed in the code number, stepping in. Closing the door, he leaned against it and let out a deep breath. This was where he was going to live for the next who-knows-how-long. He started to walk in, but froze instantly upon seeing someone already chilling on the couch.

"Oh, I am sorry, I must have--" he cut himself off when it registered just who it was. Sulu. Of all people it had to be Sulu. Chekov bit his tongue, all previous words flying out the window. His heart start to beat faster. It had to be some sort of mix up. Some kind of horrible mix up. Sulu was going to kick him out and he would have no where to go.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School has been insane! But the semester is nearly over, and I'm celebrating that by (finally) posting a new chapter.

Sulu looked up in confusion, at a loss as to why someone would be coming into his room. And how as well, seeing as he should be the only one with the code. He felt a little rush of happiness upon seeing Chekov, perking up a bit before the uncertainty set in. Chekov looked just as surprised to see him, and Hikaru guessed it was not the good kind of surprise. He’d hoped, for a brief moment, that maybe Chekov had found out which room was his, was coming to visit. That hope was quickly dashed by Chekov’s expression.

“Hey.” He spoke softly, standing up quickly and tugging his slightly rumpled shirt straight. He felt so awkward, made worse by the silence that hung between them. He took a small step forward. “Pav…” He trailed off, glancing down for a second. Cutting as the realization was, he knew he probably only had a second before Chekov would turn around and leave, off to fix whatever mix up had led him here. Sulu knew that if he was going to talk to Pav, get any closure on this, now might be his only chance.

He hesitated for a moment, unsure, but he couldn’t stand not knowing. Not when Chekov was right here by some miracle. He opened his mouth, starting to say something and stopping. He was tense, frustrated at himself, and finally just blurted it out. “I’m sorry. If I said something that upset you, I’m really sorry. If I did something… Please, just tell me what it was, I’ll make it up to you.” His tone had taken on a pleading quality, though he didn’t move from where he was standing.

He felt so out of his depth with this. It had only been a little over three weeks since he’d gotten off of Reagis III, and a little over two since Chekov had become his friend. He didn’t know what he was doing, but he desperately wanted that trust and assurance of Chekov’s friendship back. Seeing the Russian standing in front of him, he couldn’t just say nothing, let him walk off again. Not without at least knowing where he’d gone wrong.

If he didn't know any better, Chekov might have thought Sulu actually looked _happy_ to see him. For a split second there was some sort of glimmer there, a glow. But it was gone just as quickly and Chekov assumed he had been seeing things. How could he be happy to see him? He resisted the strong urge to back away as Sulu stepped forward.

Pav... That was a name he hadn't heard in awhile. It left a twinge of loneliness as the silence settled in. Pavel glanced back at the door for a few seconds. He considered leaving, and while every inch of him told him he should, there was a small part of him that told him to stay. Why? He had no idea, but he decided to listen to it and turned back to Karu, though did everything he could not to look at him.   
This was like all those times they occasionally passed in the corridors, only doubled. He was beginning to wonder if he should've left when he had the chance, when Sulu spoke. Chekov's eyes snapped up to meet his, completely full of shock. Sulu was _apologizing_ to _him_?

Utterly confused, he tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows. "Vhy are you apologizing? You did nozhing vrong. If anyzhing, eet is _me_ who should be saying sorry, but I did not zhink you vould accept."

This whole time, had Sulu been blaming himself for something he didn't do? That would explain part of why he had been so scarce. All along Chekov had thought it was something _he_ had done. While it still ultimately was, maybe they hadn't had to avoid each other. Chekov winced at the thought. They could have avoided this. Why hadn't he approached Sulu sooner? This whole thing could have been averted but no, fear of hurting Hikaru had stopped him, but it only made him hurt the Asian more.

“I…” Sulu stopped, brow furrowed as he looked down. Chekov’s fault? That… no, that didn’t make sense. He wasn’t about to contradict Chekov at the moment though, afraid of sparking an argument when they’d just begun speaking. “You don’t have anything to apologize for, you didn’t do anything, I should…” He stopped again, rocking back on his heels slightly. This did not seem to be going well.

Chekov bit his tongue. Sulu seemed just as surprised at his confession. He said he didn't do anything, but Chekov could think of many things he had done. Many things that would make Sulu turn against him. He quietly shifted his bag, setting it on the floor, but he made no further move to get comfortable.

Hundreds of thoughts rushed through his head, but he couldn't say any of them. None of them were appropriate. Nothing he could say would make this situation any better. In fact, everything felt like it would make it all worse. He couldn't just leave the silence, however. Wrong words would be better than silence. "I..." he hesitated, pausing as a shudder passed up his spine. "I do not understand. Vhy are you sorry?"

Sulu looked down, unable to keep meet Chekov’s eyes or even look at him. Why was he sorry? That was loaded question. To be honest, he wasn’t even sure himself. Oh, sure, he had plenty of evidence why it was _his_ fault and not Pav’s, not that he’d share most of that with Chekov, but as to the particular reason _why_. He didn’t really know.

Hikaru took a short breath, trying to explain it anyway. “You… you seemed really upset a few days ago… right after the briefing…” More accurately, after the movie. He shook his head minutely, looking back up at Chekov. “I know I’m not that great at this whole friend thing yet, and I just… I had to have done _something_. Said something maybe. I pushed you without meaning to, so, I thought maybe something else had happened.”

A cold wave of horror washed over Chekov at Sulu's words. It _was_ his fault. He inhaled sharply and buried his face in his hands. Shaking his head, he took a faltering step back. The room was spinning and he couldn't stop it. It was so hard to wrap his head around the fact that it was him who had made Sulu feel this way. Caused his friend so much grief... He was never going to forgive himself.

"It _vas_ me!" he shouted, lowering his hands and looking at Sulu with a deeply pained expression. "I vas so scared I vas going to hurt you again. I vas so scared you were going to get hurt." he turned away, hugging his arms around himself in a futile attempt of comfort. "I could not bear to tell you vhat I did. Vell, you know vhat? Eet does not matter. You vill hate me anyvay." he sniffed, looking back at Sulu. "I-I looked at your medical files. All of zhem." he paused again, crumpling to the floor. It barely registered that he was on his knees. He could only focus on his guilt and Sulu's hate. "I should not hawe done eet, I'm sorry!"

Sulu wasn’t sure how to interpret the look on Chekov’s face, feeling a sinking feeling in his chest and wondering what he’d said wrong _now_. He couldn’t help but flinch slightly at Chekov’s shout. They weren’t the words he was expected, however, and his eyes widened a bit at the Russians admission.

All of this, over his medical files?

Absurdly, Hikaru felt even more guilty. It was something he rationally knew was out of his control, but it still felt like his fault. It was _his_ medical file that had made Chekov so upset. He tried to push that to the side for now, as well as the somewhat conflicted feeling that McCoy or some other doctor had given Chekov the files, focusing on Pav.

“I don’t hate you, I promise.” He tried, shifting forward uncertainly and crouching a bit away from Chekov. “I’m sorry… if I… I didn’t mean to… to make you think I hated you. I don’t.” Sulu was so curious as to just _why_ Chekov had wanted to see his file, he couldn’t fathom why, but he knew this probably wasn’t the best time to ask.

Chekov took a couple of deep breaths, trying to keep himself calm. Less than an hour on the planet and he had already freaked out. Why did it always have to be in front of Sulu? Why couldn't it have happened when he was alone or something. Now he was just making a fool out of himself.

He wiped his eyes and looked at Sulu hesitantly. It was doubtful that he didn't hate him. There had to be some there somewhere. "How could you not hate me?" Chekov questioned quietly, fighting to keep his voice under control and unwavering. "I let Nure basically kill you, I snooped, I lied, I practically destroyed your life!" he stopped, gaze switching to the window.

Now Sulu was going to feel guilty and was going to try and deny all he had said. And then it would turn to pity. Chekov didn't want Sulu to bend over backwards for him. He didn't deserve that. Hikaru didn't deserve that... Rising to his feet and heart pounding hard, Chekov straightened his shirt and took a breath. "I-I am sorry I vasted so much time..." he frowning, moving over to grab his bag. "You should be out enjoying zhe city. I vill go..."

Sulu stood up when Chekov did, feeling very off balance at the shift in subject. “Wait, please? You don’t have to go, just…” He was scrambling to think of something, anything. The last thing he wanted was for Chekov to vanish off somewhere and he be left back where he’d started. No friends and stuck here on this planet on his own. “Why don’t you hang out here? I can go see what’s going on with your room, if you want?”

Chekov blinked, taking in the obvious urgency in Sulu's voice. He wanted him to stay? "Are you.. are you sure zhat vould be okay?" he asked. As awkward as it would be to stay here for the week, it would be better than trying to find some other open room. And maybe, just maybe, they could be friends again. "I vould not vant to bozher..."

Sulu nodded, trying a smile. “Yeah, you’re not bother.”

Chekov shrugged, giving a little nod. "Okay, I guess I can stay for a little vhile."

Hikaru perked up a bit at the agreement. Even a little while was better than nothing. “Great! And I’ll fix the mix up, so you don’t have to put up with me for long if you don’t want.” He assured. “I hadn’t really planned on going out much today, but I can if you want to just relax with the place to yourself. I’d thought about shopping some, but I just don’t really know where to start.” Sulu shifted to the side a bit so Chekov could move further into the room if he wanted, talking to cover any awkward nervousness, though he only ended up feeling more awkward by the end.

"Do not vorry too much about eet. I can alvays find a hotel or somezhing," he stated, not wanting Sulu to get thrown out if he was too persistent. "And do vhatewer you vere going to do. Pretend I am not ewen here." he ducked his head and sidled past, dumping his bag in a corner. No use in unpacking right away if he might not be staying. He carefully looked around the room for the first time, surprised with the neatness of everything. Starfleet did good. Chekov looked back at Sulu after a moment, clasping his hands behind him nervously. "Should I come vith you?"

Sulu tried really hard not to read too much into Chekov’s offer to accompany him. It wasn’t like Pav was asking to hang out. Still, he couldn’t help the tiny little smile, his spirits rising a bit at the fact that Chekov hadn’t just asked him to just clear out until he’d gotten a new room.

“Sure, if you want.” He agreed. At the very least, they’d get to spend a bit of time during the walk and likely standing in line. “We could get some lunch later if you want?” He added, deciding to press his luck some. “See some of the city even?”

Chekov felt a surge of anxiety at Sulu's extended request. He had planned on getting a new room then getting settled, but Hikaru looked so enthusiastic... He couldn't say no and watch the happiness drain from his face without feeling terrible. "Okay," he said with a hint of nervousness. What could happen?


	28. Chapter 28

Sulu smiled, even if he was a bit worried at the nervousness in Chekov’s tone. Figuring now was as good a time as any, and he didn’t want it to get awkward standing around here, Hikaru led the way out of the room. It took a bit of pretending, but Sulu was able to imagine that things were like they had been before Angoria. Just the two of them hanging out.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have much in the way of conversation. He hadn’t done anything interesting in the week that he and Pav hadn’t been talking, so there wasn’t anything for him to catch up on. Hikaru certainly wasn’t going to bother Chekov with his troubles either. This didn’t leave much to talk about, and left Sulu fishing around for conversation.

“You know, this is my first shore leave in…” He tilted his head a little, giving an exaggerated thinking face. “quite a few years.”

Chekov trailed silently behind Sulu as he led the way, falling into step with the pilot as they made their way to the hall. The quiet was nice, and he had to admit, it was nice to be next to Sulu again, even if it had only been a week. There was a strange tenseness growing and he wanted to say something, but his mouth refused to open.

There wasn't exactly anything he wanted to tell Karu at the moment, but he wanted to say /something/. It seemed that he wanted to as well, because no sooner than he had finished his thought than Sulu spoke up. Looking to the Asian with astonishment, his eyes widened. "/Years/?" he repeated, blinking quickly. The last shore leave he had had was a couple of months ago. He was actually scheduled to go on one before, but things had arisen and it had been rescheduled for some other date in the future.

"Vhy? I mean..." he trailed off momentarily, knowing where the last two years had been spent. "Before... On zhe Indiana. Zhey did not giwe you any shore leawes?"

Sulu wrinkled his nose a little, giving a short shrug. “Couple times I ticked the captain off, so that scratched some of em. And the few others I had scheduled, just...” He trailed off for a moment, trying to think of how to express it. “It’s not as much fun on your own, and the guys I’d hung out with didn’t really have the same interests as I did. So, I ended up with less of a shore leave, and more of sitting around my quarters.”

Chekov couldn't keep down the little laugh that rose up at Sulu's statement. "You tick off a keptain? Nooo." he grinned, but it fadedly quickly. "I hope zhis one is better. I know ve don't share many interests, zhough, so eet vould be okay if you hung out vith zhe ozhers." he ducked his head. He had already more or less filled in most of his schedule with being alone anyway, so nothing would change if Sulu didn't want to hang out.

Hikaru perked up bit, unable to help the smug little grin at Chekov’s laugh. He hadn’t even been trying to be funny that time. “Yeah, I know, shocking.” He chuckled. He shook his head, giving little scoff at Chekov’s suggestion. What others was he supposed to hang out with? The only other people in the crew that could even tolerate him at this point, besides Pav, were back on the ship. Sulu was pretty sure if he tried spending time with any of the other Enterprise people, he would have come out with some sort of bodily harm. He couldn’t really tell Pav that, however.

“I haven’t made any plans to be honest. It’s been a while since I’ve been anywhere like this. Stupid as it is, I don’t really know where to start.” Not that he’d care to admit it, but it was also a little intimidating the thought of venturing off to explore the city on his own. Not that such a thing would stop him. It was just that, when Kirk had initially told them about it, he’d hoped to have a normal fun leave with a friend, disregarding the extra strings that came with it, and there was still a part of him that wanted that. At the same time, though, he didn’t want to force his company on Chekov.

Chekov nodded. He understood that. If you've been used to being on a large, but fairly contained ship for a long period of time, a city can be pretty overwhelming. Even though he actually really liked the city, Pavel was pretty scared himself, at going into a place with a lot of people and buildings close together. It felt like there would be no escape. What if something happened? You couldn't just duck into the closest turbolift and go to your room. No, you were stuck with a bunch of strangers.

Chekov shuddered involuntarily, straightening up as it passed. Sulu was probably excited for some time off, though, so he didn't want to hold him back from doing what he wanted. If that meant suffering, so be it. "If you are looking for a nawigator, I could tag alone vith you."

Sulu glanced over at Chekov, smiling some. “That would be great, if you would.” He said, tone a mix of hopeful and happy. “I don’t want to keep you from any of your plans…”

Chekov shrugged. "I did not hawe any plans to begin vith, actually." he was about to crack a small smile in return, when a man nearly rammed into him. Chekov jumped to the side just in time and turned to watch the person go. Biting his tongue, he looked forward, chiding himself that he really had to watch where he was going before he made someone mad. Looking around caused him to notice that they were in the lobby already, and the desk was straight ahead. A sudden wave of fear hit him and he drifted closer and somewhat behind Sulu. As they approached, the lady behind the desk eyed them curiously. She had scaly skin and small tentacles poked out from her dark hair. "Can I help you?" she asked, tone automatic and strained.

Sulu couldn’t help but notice the change in Chekov as they approached the desk. It put him a little on edge that the Russian was so apparently nervous. He pushed the feeling to the side for now, focusing on answering the lady; it didn’t look like Chekov was much up for it. “Yes, I think there might have been a mix up with our rooms.” He began, giving her a polite smile. Briefly, he explained which building and room, and what the mix up was.

The woman listened to their plight, nodding when Sulu had finished. "That's interesting..." she mused, sliding to the side and punching something into a raised PADD. She was quiet as her eyes searched, glancing over at them every few seconds. "There must have been some sort of malfunction," she said at length, speaking slowly. Another pause as her fingers flew across the screen. She frowned. "There don't seem to be any free rooms at the moments. I could put one of you on the waiting list until one shows up, but I'm afraid you'll be stuck together unless you find another alternative." she leaned on the counter and looked at them, awaiting an answer.

Sulu tilted his head a little, frowning slightly. Just their luck. He glanced over a Chekov, lifting an eyebrow. “I’m okay with rooming together if you are. If not, I’ll go find a place and you can keep the room.” Not that he had _any_ idea where he would go, but he’d manage. Not like he hadn’t dealt with worse.

Chekov shrugged. He didn't want to bother the desk lady, but he didn't want to bother Hikaru more. The Asian mentioned that it would be okay, though, and that took a tiny load off his mind. "If you are really not bozhered by eet," he replied with a small nod. Who knew how many other people were on the waiting list and needed a room more than them. It would be awkward to room together, that was a given, but hopefully that would be the extent of it.

Sulu felt a bit relieved that Chekov hadn’t wanted to room to himself. He really hadn’t a clue what he would have done otherwise. “Yeah, it’s fine.” He grinned briefly then turned back to the lady. “Don’t worry bout the waiting list. Thank you for your help.” He turned away after that, moseying in no particular direction. There were a few familiar faces he saw as they walked, none of which he felt any desire to approach.

Pavel followed Sulu, sticking his hands deep into his pockets. He wondered if they would be able to tolerate each other after a week. He supposed that they could always take breaks or something, but the fact that they would have to sleep in the same place together? For some unknown reason, it still slightly unnerved him. Trying to keep the negative feelings at bay, he wandered over to a large fountain. The sound of it was comforting in a way, and took a deep breath, trying to relax beside it. "In zhe old days, zhey used to zhrow coins in and make vishes, right?"

“That’s what I’ve heard. My grandmother used to tell us about it sometimes, when I was a kid.” He smiled softly remembering. “That there’d be so many different coins, it would coat the bottom. She said she and her sister would beg their mother for a coin, and throw it in together, eyes shut tight and wishing hard. Apparently, back on earth, there is a fountain that still has coins in it. An old piece of history outside of a museum. I don’t remember where though.”

Hikaru stopped next to the fountain, looking down into the clear water. The bottom of the fountain was a smooth white, not a coin in sight.

Chekov looked down into the water, trying to imagine what it would be like if it were filled with coins. He had only seen a couple of coins himself, and had a hard time picturing it. He reached down and put his hand in the water, touching the bottom as if hoping that there would be something down there even though he knew there wouldn't be. "Ve should go zhere sometime, I'd lowe to see eet," he said quietly, shifting to sit on the edge of the fountain. He swished his hand around a couple times, glancing up at Sulu and patting the free spot next to him.

Sulu nodded, moving to sit next to Chekov and leaning back a bit to look up at the sky. Going back to earth, now that would be nostalgic. It was home, sure, but there wasn’t much there for him. Still, it would be nice to go back, share some old stories with a friend. “For sure.” He agreed, looking over at Chekov with a smile. “Wish I could’ve introduced you to her.” He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “She’d fuss over you so much. I don’t think I ever went over to her house without her feeding me. She always thought I was too skinny, especially after I started fencing.”

It took Chekov a moment to realize Sulu was talking about his grandmother. He wondered if there was a subliminal message there, however, and began to feel a bit self conscious of his weight. He knew he had been getting a bit skinny, but hadn't ever really thought about it until now. There wasn't much he could do about it, though, and decided to address it later. "She sounds like a great voman," he stated with a small smile. He loved how much Sulu seemed to adore her. "Maybe I vill be able to meet her sometime."

Sulu shrugged a little, eyes dropping to the pavement as his smile slipped a little. “She died, long time ago.” It was a bit awkward, saying it. It really had been such a long time ago.

It felt like a knife was plunged into his chest. Chekov tensed, slowly bringing his hand out of the water. He frowned. "I'm sorry... I should hawe..." he trailed off. He felt terrible for not assuming before saying something.

Sulu shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I was talking like she was still here. Honestly, it’s been so long since I’ve thought of her. It was nice.” He grinned, nudging Chekov gently with an elbow. “Really it’s fine.”

Chekov forced a smile, though he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. Sulu seemed alright about it, didn't seem mad or anything. Maybe it was really okay after all. "Okay," he said with a bit of uncertainty, returning his hand to the water. "I did not know my grandparents too vell. I stayed vith my parents and spent most of my time in school." he smirked lightly, tension starting to dissolve. "But eet led me here to Starfleet vhich I suppose is a pretty good zhing."

“Guess you sort of _had_ to stay with your parents.” Sulu laughed lightly, giving in and teasing Chekov slightly. “Seeing how young you were going through the academy. And yeah, I’d say you being in Starfleet is a good thing.” Sulu was glad that Pav had ended up here in any case.

Chekov nodded, smiling fondly. "I hawe not seen zhem in a long time," he mused, expression dipping somewhat. "Maybe ve could wisit zhem after ve see zhat coin filled fountain." he looked at Sulu with bright eyes. "And zhen ve can wisit your parents!"

Hikaru held his breath for a second, feeling stupidly blindsided by the topic. His grandmother was easy to speak of. He’d loved her dearly, and her passing had been hard, but his parents had been there. It was a bitter sweet memory because he’d been sad, they all had, but there had been that comfort and warmth of the family coming together. But with them.

“I…” He hesitated, chest tightening a little just thinking about it. “I was on the Indiana, weeks away from earth when my father passed away. And… my mother as well.” If he was honest, the weeks after he’d gotten the news were a bit of a blur. He clearly remembered speaking to his mother, having to let her know he wouldn’t be able to make it home. Then later, after his shift, Mark had shown up with a bottle of _something_ and after that it was slurred memories of drinking, crying, and Mark even somehow making him laugh. Losing his mom had taken both Liam and Mark, though there had been a lot less drinking.

Once upon a time ago, that memory had been much like when his grandmother had gone. It hurt, but looking back it had been comforting to be surrounded by friends. But now… What was it now? A bunch of lies? He hadn’t thought about either of those instances, tried not thinking about those two officers at all really. He took a deep slow breath, trying to relax as he realized he was gripping the edge of the fountain too hard.


	29. Chapter 29

Hikaru's expression had changed instantly and Chekov immediately knew he had said something wrong. He listened silently, avoiding Sulu's gaze. Even when he had finished speaking, Chekov remained quiet. The silence hung heavy around them, but there were no words of comfort he could offer. While he shared the grief of the last away mission, he couldn't connect well with Sulu on this topic. He had never lost someone so close to him... Unless you counted Hillary. But Hillary wasn't a parent. She wasn't a relative. Just a friend...

Chekov let his head fall into his chest. He hated thinking about her now. Hated the feeling that accompanied her face. It was crushing. More often than not, he just tried to forgot her completely, even though he knew that was totally impossible.

Standing up suddenly, Pavel shook the water off his hand and looked at Sulu with a small, forced smile. "Do you vant to go get lunch?" he asked, wanting to get away from the painful topics. While he'd much rather return to the room and be alone, he knew Hikaru wanted to tour the city a little bit. And maybe he could suppress his feelings easier when he was with someone.

Sulu looked up at Chekov as the Russian stood, nodding at his suggestion. Hikaru was grateful for the change in topic, and for the offered distraction. “That sounds great.” He answered. He felt a little bit guilty, having put such a damper on what had otherwise been a fairly pleasant time with Chekov. He gave himself a mental shake, determined to stay cheerful to the best he could. If nothing else, maybe it would cheer up Pav. Sulu still thought he seemed a little off, and it worried him.

Hikaru glanced around for a moment, trying to decide which way would be their best option. “Should we try this way?” He offered, indicating toward what appeared to be the main street of the city. “There’s bound to be something there to eat.”

Chekov nodded, stepping forward beside Sulu, walking at a slow pace. In truth, he wasn't hungry, but lunch seemed like the best and easiest option for a subject change. Inconspicuous, not a pushy thing, and besides, they were going to go out and eat at some point. But maybe it wasn't the best, because he would have to refuse food and then Sulu would worry and it would just snowball the whole day... Chekov shook his head slightly. Stop it. Just stop it. Stop thinking.

"So," Pavel began. "Vhat are ve going to get? Vant anyzhing specific? Or are ve just going to go into zhe first place ve see." It felt like he should laugh. He refrained, however, in an effort to stop being so fake about everything. Instead, he focused intently on Hikaru's face, trying not to notice the people walking closely around them.

Sulu shrugged a little, not exactly having a plan himself. The air felt very tense to him now, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it. “Look for some place nice, whatever catches our attention?” He offered. The words sounded forced even to him, but he wasn’t going to just walk in silence. He glanced over at Chekov, brow furrowing at the way that he looked. “Somewhere not to noise or crowded?” He added, looking back around at the different venues.

Chekov nodded, drawing his attention away to look at some of the buildings. They were all nice. Very modern, but none of them were exactly calling out to him. He frowned at a place, in particular, that had a large line going outside the door. Hopefully Sulu wouldn't want to go there. While the smell was tempting, it was far too crowded. Thankfully they kept walking, and soon enough, Chekov saw a colorful building up ahead.

There were flowers planted outside of it, and it didn't look nearly as up-to-date as the other restaurants. This one was charming. Almost like something you would find on earth a couple years back. "Zhat one looks nice," Chekov commented, gesturing towards it. He wanted to go there, but if Sulu didn't, he wasn't about to push.

Sulu slowed down, looking over at the place Chekov pointed out. It looked nice enough. As they got closer, he couldn’t help the pleased little grin that appeared. He could smell coffee. He hadn’t had a good homestyle type of coffee in far too long. “I think here is perfect.” He said, already more cheerful at the prospect.

Sulu led the way into the coffee shop, still grinning. The interior was not much different from the exterior. It was simple, but elegant, design and he immediately could tell this was a good venue. It was a little crowded inside, but the noise level was quite low. He was busy looking around for an empty table as they walked to join the queue, not noticing until the man turning from the line until he’d run into him.

Sulu froze is shock, eye’s wide. “I’m so sorry!” He exclaimed, looking around quickly for some towels, napkins, or anything, hands waving uselessly. He glanced up at the man’s face, blushing a little at the bewildered and surprised expression there. He found the expression adorable, and really wasn’t sure what to do with that feeling right now. God, he felt like such an idiot.

Happily, not much of the hot liquid had gotten on either of them, most of it ending up on the floor. “I’m sorry, here, just…” He finally got his hands on some napkins, holding them out to the man, heart skipping a bit as their hands brushed together.

“It’s fine.” The man laughed some, finally coming to his senses enough to stop Sulu’s babbled apologies, honestly he found it charming, taking the offered napkins and brushing the coffee off his clothes.

“My fault really, I should have been paying closer attention.”

Chekov gave a genuine smile at the affirmation. The place was so quaint, and even the inside was comfortable. When they went in, he tensed, seeing how many people there were. It felt like they were all looking at him, but he knew for a fact that they weren't so he forced himself to relax. Nothing was going to happen.

And just as he said that, someone bumped into Sulu. Go figure.

At first he was a bit miffed that it had happened because, how dare someone bump Sulu, but then he realized that the man didn't seem mad and there wasn't really any damage. Chekov slipped to the side, trying to keep out of the way. He bit his tongue as Sulu flailed, obviously looking for something to mop the coffee up with, and he almost went forward. They seemed to have it covered, however, and didn't bother. After a moment, though, he realized that they might have forgotten the stuff on the floor. They were too caught up with apologies and the stuff on their clothes. If they didn't hurry, the wood might stain. Even if that doesn't happen, one of them could slip.

Frowning some, he grabbed a handful of napkins from the counter and slunk forward, trying to remain unseen. He bent down quietly and sopped up the coffee. When he was done, he popped up to his feet and made his way to a trash can, throwing the napkins away. He hovered around it uncertainly, shifting from foot to foot as he watched the two. Was Sulu going to come back or was he going to have to go to them?

Hikaru shook his head. “No, I should have. Let me at least get you a new coffee.”

“I’ll take you up on the coffee if you insist, but you don’t have too. I don’t want to ruin your day.”

Sulu smiled a little, pleased to have convinced him of one thing at least. He paused though, looking around a bit guiltily for Pav. He hadn’t really _forgotten_ about Pav, just was distracted. “It’s fine, I want to.” He headed over to Chekov, giving him a slightly apologetic smile realizing that Pav had cleaned up most of the spilled coffee. “Thanks.”

“I’m Ben, by the way.” Ben introduced himself, having followed Sulu over. He gestured toward a table near the far wall. “If you want to, there’s plenty of room at my table over there? This place is popular enough to be busy, so it can be hard to find a table.”

“Hikaru.” Sulu replied, happy to have a name for the face. He looked over at Pav, letting him introduce himself. Sulu had no idea which name Chekov preferred to go by with strangers anyway. He was all for joining Ben, but he hesitated to accept the offer in case Pav was against it.

Chekov straightened as the two made their way over, trying to ignore the tightening in his chest. He gave a small smile to Hikaru in return. "Eet is all good," he murmured quietly, turning his attention to this new guy named Ben. "I'm Chekov," he stated, greeting him with a small nod. He pushed a smile out to appear calm, but inwardly he was anything but. They had _literally_ just met, and now he wanted to have coffee with them? It didn't make sense, and it made Chekov uncomfortable.

It wasn't just the fact that he had been expecting a calm lunch, but also the fact that it was happening so quickly. They didn't know him. Sure, maybe he was trying to be polite, but what if his motives were something more than that? What if he was some kind of criminal and was trying to cover up? What if he had bumped into Sulu on purpose? It could be an accident now, but would it still be an accident if

Sulu started to get bruises? What if Ben wasn't even his real name. This could be the Nure thing all over again if they weren't careful. Looking over at Sulu and seeing his eager eyes, however, Chekov had no choice but to nod, accepting the invitation.


	30. Chapter 30

Hikaru grinned at Chekov’s acceptance, turning his gaze back to Ben. “That would be great, thank you. Beats waiting around for a table for who knows how long.” After a few moments, they were at the front of the line, and Sulu ordered himself a drink and a small sandwich, as well as Ben’s replacement coffee. “What do you want Pav?” he questioned, turned his attention to Chekov.

Chekov looked at the menu, blinking. He wasn't hungry at all, especially with the turmoil going on inside his stomach. "Just a hot chocolate," he replied with a small shrug. He ordered quickly, before turning back to Sulu with what he hoped was a carefree grin. "Maybe I vill get some real food later."

Sulu frowned slightly, worried because Pav was way too skinny. But hot chocolate didn’t sound like the worst choice. At least it had some calories in it and would fill him up maybe? Hikaru wasn’t a doctor, he didn’t know, but he hardly had any room to complain, it wasn’t like he was the best at eating well.

He followed Ben once they’d all gotten their orders, glad that the man had a table that was against a wall. As enamored as he had been Ben thus far, he knew he would not have been comfortable sitting in the center of the room. Just the thought of being surrounded like that made his shoulders tense, and he had to shake the feeling off as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

“So, Ben, you live here then? Or are you a tourist?” Sulu asked, both curious about him and simply trying to strike up some conversation to prevent it from becoming awkward.

Ben chuckled a little. “Bit of both, I suppose. I moved here not too long ago, and I don’t plan to live here long term.” He explained. “Guessing the two of you are tourists? I’ve heard a lot of Starfleet ships come by here for shore leave.”

Sulu nodded. “Yeah, just arrived today.”

Chekov followed after them, licking some of the whipped cream off the top. He slid into the chair beside Hikaru and set the mug down, sipping on it quietly and listening to the conversation, though he kept a careful eye on Ben out of the corner of his vision. There was a small dip in the conversation and Pavel took this opportunity to ask a question. "Vhat do you do?" he inquired, hoping that sounded normal. "I mean, vhat is your job?"

“I write. Mostly I do new journals and stories, though I am working on my own book to publish. It’s the reason I moved here.” Ben answered easily, stirring his coffee idly. “What about the two of you? Starfleet officers, that’s obvious.”

“We’re station on the Enterprise.” Sulu said, leaning back expectantly, coffee in his hands.

Ben didn’t disappoint, eyebrows lifting, impressed. “That’s a high profile ship. The Federations flag ship, bet you’re glad of some relaxation. I’d imagine there’s plenty to do aboard the Enterprise. Or any starship really.”

“Yeah, so far there has been. I haven’t been on the Enterprise for too long, but it’s a great ship.” Sulu grinned.

Ben smiled back. “What do you two do on the ship?”

“Helmsman.” Sulu answered shortly, glancing over at Pav. He wasn’t trying to leave Pav out, just it was so easy to talk to Ben.

Normally he would have been gushing with pride at talking about the Enterprise or his role on the ship, but somehow he couldn't seem to get his energy high enough to get excited. Quite frankly, that scared him. When the attention was suddenly on him, he blanked for a split second. "Uh, nawigator," he replied after a pause, before ducking his head slightly. He had to stay focused on the conversation so that it wouldn't surprise him again if he was asked a question.

Lifting his head up again, he glanced at Sulu, then back at Ben with a small grin. "Hikaru is more zhan just zhe helmsman. He is zhe /pilot/!" Sulu and Ben seemed to be hitting it off pretty well, and besides putting Hikaru in the best light possible (which was what he deserved and more as far as Pav was concerned), maybe this would steer the talk away from him.

Ben lifted an eyebrow, gaze moving easily back to Hikaru. “Really?”

Sulu grinned a little, nodding.

“A humble pilot? I never thought I’d see the day.” Ben chuckled, catching Sulu’s gaze briefly. “It’s a combination you don’t find too often.” Ben comment, smiling. He couldn’t stop himself from flirting, subtle as it was. He wasn’t positive if Hikaru would even be interested and, if he were honest with himself, it was likely this would be the only time he would see either of them. Starfleet officers had a habit of coming and going rather quickly, so there was little reason to not take the risk.

Sulu couldn’t hold back the little huff of laughter at Ben’s statement, gaze dropping to his coffee to hide his surprise. He knew he was probably grinning a bit to happily, but he found it really surprising that this man was actually flirting with him. At least, he thought Ben was. It sounded a like it, and the look he was giving sure sent that signal to Sulu.

“I wouldn’t say humble exactly, just leading in so that I can really impress you.” He replied, looking up at Ben with a saucy grin.

Ben laughed lightly at that. “Well, impress me then.”

“I’ll make the long story short and just say that Starfleet doesn’t have a flight test I haven’t passed. And I haven’t run into a ship yet that I can’t fly.” Sulu chuckled.

Ben’s smile widened at that, eyebrows rising a bit. “That _is_ impressive. I’ve done a paper or two on Starfleet, and they have quite a list of aircraft.”

Hikaru gave a little smirk at that, grinning cheekily. “It’s just one of my many talents.”

“There’s that stereotypical pilot attitude.” Ben couldn’t help but laugh at that look Sulu pulled. Oh, he was going to have a heck of a time trying to forget this man when he left. “Much as I would love to hear more about the talents of Hikaru, I’ve got to go. Got a meeting to attend, work to do.”

Sulu was a bit disappointed that Ben had to leave, though he knew that not everyone in this city was here on ‘vacation’ (he wouldn’t really call this a vacation, and he didn’t think Pav would either). Speaking of which, he really hoped Chekov wasn’t feeling awkward or anything. Talking and joking with Ben like this had been like a breath of fresh air to Sulu. No one on the enterprise had cared to be any sort of friendly with him recently, so it was a sharp change.

“I’ll tell you all about them, any time.” Hikaru quipped, bringing himself back to the present as Ben stood up and began gathering his things.

Ben paused for a moment. It was the perfect opening and before he could even consider stopping himself, he spoke. “I’d love to hear about them. May I have your number?”

Hikaru blinked in surprise, bravado giving way to a shocked sort of nervous joy. He could feel his pulse racing as he agreed, rattling off his number in what he hoped was a normal tone. He was already trying not to get his hopes too high, the guy would likely forget all about him within minutes of leaving, but it was difficult. Sulu watched Ben as he made some polite farewells to Chekov (though he didn’t really hear what was said). He let out a light sigh once the man was gone, turning to look at Chekov.


End file.
